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.
Category Archives: Genre
Lucia (1969)
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.
Lunch Break (2005)
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.”
Lunch Break (2008)
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.
Maids and Bosses (Empleadas y Patrones) [2010]
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.
Man’s Job (Miehen työ) [2007]
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.
Monogah Heroine (2007)
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
Mac (1992)
117m; U.S.
Director: John Tuturro
Cast: John Turturro, Michael Badalucco and Carl Capotorto
Synopsis (IMDB): Niccolo (Mac) Vitelli is the eldest of three brothers and leads their family after their beloved father dies. Their father was a builder and his sons continue in this family trade. At first, they work for Polowski, who does shoddy work and cheats on his jobs. When the brothers can no longer take being employed by such an angry vitriolic boss who takes no pride in his work, they set up their own company. Together, Vitelli Brothers Construction builds houses with pride and care. However, Mac turns out to be an overbearing workaholic, with obsessive concern about the quality of their work and incredible attention to detail. His intensity and driven ambition precludes a happy family life and eventually drives away his two happy-go-lucky brothers from his nascent construction empire
Macario (1960)
91m; Mexico
Director: Roberto Gavaldón
Cast: Ignacio López Tarso, Pina Pellicer and Enrique Lucero
Synopsis (IMDB): Poor, hungry peasant Macario longs for just one good meal on the Day of the Dead. After his wife cooks a turkey for him, he meets three apparitions, the Devil, God, and Death. Each asks him to share his turkey, but he refuses all except Death. In return, Death gives him a bottle of water which will heal any illness. Soon, Macario is more wealthy than the village doctor, which draws the attention of the feared Inquisition.
Machuca (2004)
121m; Chile
Director: Andrés Wood
Cast: Matías Quer, Ariel Mateluna and Manuela Martelli
Synopsis (IMDB): A wonderful coming-of-age film set in Santiago, Chile during the last year of Salvador Allende’s democratic socialist government and the first years of the Augusto Pinochet regime. The film follows two boys, one Pedro Machuca from the city’s poor slums and the other, Gonzalo Infante, from an upper-class family. The two meet when a new government program starts placing children from poorer communities in more affluent schools and the two start to bond.
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