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DC LABOR FILMFEST
September 14 – 19
Organized and presented by the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, the Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, DC Labor Filmfest 2006 boasts an array of new films and beloved classics about work and workers, from the American office place to the far-flung factories of the global economy. For more information, visit www.dclaborfilmfest.org.
 AFI Member Passes will be accepted at all screenings in the DC Labor Film Fest.
OPENING NIGHT!
Thursday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Director Ramin Bahrani in Person with the Washington DC Premiere of
MAN PUSH CART
In an affecting and well-told story, Ahmad drags his coffee and bagel cart through Manhattan traffic to set up for the daily rush of morning commuters. Once a famous pop singer in Pakistan, Ahmad is recognized by a young executive who promises to connect him to the right people. Ahmad toils and waits, struggling with his past and self-worth while pining for Noemi, a young Latina woman who works at a neighboring newsstand.
"A terrific neorealist film in the
tradition of 'The Bicycle Thief.'"
- Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
Read the complete review.
DIR/SCR/PROD Ramin Bahrani; PROD Brian Bell, Bedford T. Bentley, Tom Donahue, Pradip Ghosh and Anura Idupuganti. US, 2005, color, 87 min. NOT RATED
NORTH COUNTRY
Three Best Actress Oscar winners in a fictionalized account of the first major successfully prosecuted sexual harassment case in the US. Gritty direction by Niki Caro (WHALE RIDER) and strong performances by Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson and Charlize Theron as a gutsy miner.
DIR Niki Caro; PROD Nick Wechsler; SCR Michael Seitzman, based on the book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler. US, 2005, color, 126 min. RATED R
Back by Popular Demand
OFFICE SPACE
"It feels good to be a gangsta." Ignored upon its theatrical release, this film has gone on to become an all time great cult classic. Ron Livingston stars in this outrageous tale as a fed up 9-to-5er who decides to extort funds from Initech, the computer company he works for, with the help of office mates Samir Nagheenanajar and Michael Bolten. Bring your red Swingline stapler!
DIR/SCR/PROD Mike Judge; PROD Daniel Rappaport and Michael Rotenberg. US, 1991, color, 89 min. RATED R
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THE GRONHOLM METHOD [El Método]
Screening courtesy of Latido Films
Seven candidates compete for an executive position at a multinational company in a contest that elicits suspicion, paranoia and betrayal. The humiliation these desperate professionals are willing to endure or inflict on others is chilling but has the unmistakable ring of truth in today's dog-eat-dog job market.
DIR/SCR Marcelo Piñeyro Argentina; PROD Gerardo Herrero and Francisco Ramos; SCR Mateo Gil, based on the play by Jordi Galceran. Spain/Italy, 2005, color, 115 min.
WORKINGMAN'S DEATH
A poetic but unrelenting portrait of toil. Presented in six chapters in six different countries, WORKINGMAN'S DEATH explores manual labor in contemporary society from the perspectives of coal miners in the Ukraine, sulphur gatherers in Indonesia, animal butchers in Nigeria, shipbreakers in Pakistan, and steelworkers in China and an abandoned mill in Germany. Music by John Zorn. Note: Contains extremely graphic scenes of cattle slaughter.
DIR/SCR Michael Glawogger; PROD Pepe Danquart and Mirjam Quinte. Austria/Germany, 2005, b&w/color, 122 min. NR
A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN
This scathing satire chronicles the social, political and economic crises that follow when every person of Hispanic descent (the "Mexicans") in the state of California mysteriously disappears for one day. In the style of a television exposé, we follow four characters, including the only Latina left behind, reporter Lila Rodriguez. Conspiracy and religious theories abound as the Golden State is thrown into a tailspin.
DIR/SCR Sergio Arau; SCR Yareli Arizmendi and Sergio Guerrero; PROD Isaac Artenstein. US/Mexico/Spain, 2004, color, 100 min. RATED R
THE AX [Le couperet]
Screening courtesy of French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In this Costa-Gavras (Z, MISSING) black comedy, José Garcia is a high-ranking executive at a French paper mill until the firm is merged and moved abroad to increase profits with cheaper labor. Flash forward two years and Garcia is still unemployed. His solution? Eliminate the competition - literally.
DIR/SCR Costa-Gavras; SCR Jean-Claude Grumberg, based on the novella by Donald E. Westlake; PROD Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, José Morales and Michéle Ray-Gavras. Belgium/France/Spain, 2005, color, 122 min. NR
CHICKEN RUN
Oppressed and facing a dismal future as pot pies, Rocky the rooster and Ginger the chicken decide to rebel against the evil chicken farm owners Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy. Rocky and Ginger must organize their fellow chickens if they are to escape from the prison-like farm of doom. A “claymation” adventure for the whole family from the creator of WALLACE & GROMIT. Featuring the voices of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawahla, Miranda Richardson, Jane Horrocks and Imelda Staunton.
DIR/SCR/PROD Peter Lord and Nick Park; SCR Karey Kirkpatrick; PROD David Sproxton. UK, 2000, color, 84 min.
ISN'T THIS A TIME! A TRIBUTE TO HAROLD LEVENTHAL
A stirring celebration of the power of music to change the world. Arlo Guthrie's annual Thanksgiving concert in New York City's Town Hall features still-powerful songs by the remaining Weavers - Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman and Erik Darling. Includes performances by Peter, Paul & Mary; Theodore Bikel; and a tribute to producer, manager and activist Harold Leventhal. Co-sponsored by the Labor Heritage Foundation.
DIR/PROD Jim Brown; PROD Michael Cohl and William Eigen. US, 2004, color, 90 min.
FARMINGVILLE
IN PERSON: Director Carlos Sandoval
This stunning documentary reveals the underlying forces and the human impact of the largest influx of Mexican workers in US history. Falsely lured to a Long Island basement by the promise of a job - immigrant laborers Israel Pérez and Magdaleno Escamilla are brutally stabbed and beaten. Co-sponsored by the National Capital Immigration Coalition, CASA of Maryland, Virginia Justice Center and Tenants & Workers United.
DIR/SCR/PROD Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini. US, 2003, color, 79 min. NR
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