106m
Director: Alain Corneau
Cast: Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas and Patrick Mille
Synopsis (IMDB): Ruthless executive Christine brings on Isabelle as her assistant, and she takes delight in toying with the young woman’s innocence. But when the protégé’s ideas become tempting enough for Christine to pass on as her own, she underestimates Isabelle’s ambition and cunning — and the ground is set for all out war.
155m;
Director: Jennifer Dworkin
Cast: Diane Hazzard, Donyaeh Hazzard and Love Hazzard
Synopsis (IMDB): Documentary on a recovering crack addict and her troubled daughter as they navigate the obstacles of joblessness, parenthood, welfare, and public housing.
During the depression in England, a young woman from Lancashire is forced to become a rich bookmaker’s mistress just to help the rest of her family who are unemployed.
88m; Czechoslavkia
Director: Milos Forman
Cast: Hana Brejchová, Vladimír Pucholt and Vladimír Mensík
Synopsis: Young Czech woman escapes from regimented life in a state dormitory and factory labor to run off to the big city seeking romance.
160m; Cuba
Director: Humberto Solas
Cast: Raquel Revuelta, Eslinda Núñez and Adela Legrá
Synopsis: Traces episodes in the lives of three Cuban working women, each named Lucía, from three different historical periods: the Cuban war of independence (with Spain), the 1930’s, and the 1960’s.
28m; U.S.
Director: John W. McKelvey
Cast: Tiffany Anne Carrin, John W. McKelvey and Elise Falanga
Synopsis: A working mother is faced with the unexpected arrival of an invasive documentary film crew and the prospect of losing her job as a cashier at a major supermarket, when a group of managers from out of town drop by for an “informal inspection.”
80m; U..
Director: Sharon Lockhart
Synopsis: In her new series on the state of American labor, artist and filmmaker Sharon Lockhart turns her meditative gaze to workers at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine. Lunch Break (2008, 80 min., HD) revisits cinema’s second-greatest invention after the close-up: the tracking shot. In one long, sensuous, uninterrupted take, the film moves through a factory corridor where workers linger while on their lunch break. The camera “tracks down,” literally, the minute, humble signs of humanity, captured at such a quotidian level that the viewer cannot help but be moved to the core. In the confines of an industrial setting, imperfect bodies unfold as sculptures in time as Lockhart’s evocative soundscape, designed with filmmaker James Benning and composer Becky Allen, extends from the drone of machinery to Led Zeppelin. Lunch Break is followed by the companion film Exit (2008, 41 min., HD), in which Lockhart reverses the gaze, with a fixed camera and a nod to Lumière.
64m;
Director: Abner Benaim
Synopsis: A revealing look into the lives of wealthy Panamanians and those they employ, this visually creative documentary explores the class divide in Latin America from both sides. Disheartened maids tell harsh stories of devilish children, ridiculously long hours and unfounded accusations of theft. Snobbish bosses complain about incorrect formal table settings, maids taking maternity leave and even the use of black magic. However, both sides attest that genuine affection can grow after working closely for so many years. Official Selection, 2011 HotDocs Film Festival.
97m; Finland
Director: Aleksi Salmenperä
Cast: Tommi Korpela, Maria Heiskanen and Jani Volanen
Synopsis (IMDB): Juha is 38 years old and has three small children and a depressed wife. He sees himself as strong and believes a man should provide for his family. But one day Juha is fired from his job. Ashamed, he weaves a web of lies to hide the fact from his family. With the help of his friend Olli, Juha begins prostituting himself to support his wife and children. With this he makes in two hours what it took him two days to earn before. The shame and deception mushroom, but the pay from the new profession seems to offset the downside.
25m; U.S.
Director: Gina Martino Dahlia
Synopsis: The film focuses on the widows left behind from the December 6, 1907 Monongah mine disaster, still dubbed the worst disaster in American history.
Contact: WVU School of Journalism – gmartino@mix.wvu.edu , 304-293-3505 ext. 5407
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