I, Daniel Blake

I, Daniel Blake 2016

7.70

A middle aged carpenter, who requires state welfare after injuring himself, is joined by a single mother in a similar scenario.

2016

American Factory

American Factory 2019

7.20

In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

2019

Sorry We Missed You

Sorry We Missed You 2019

7.30

Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self-employed delivery driver. It's hard work, and his wife's job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when both are pulled in different directions everything comes to breaking point.

2019

Cart

Cart 2014

7.20

In response to a sudden dismissal of staff, workers at a big retail store begin a protest against their employer's oppressive labor policies.

2014

Ascension

Ascension 2021

6.80

The absorbingly cinematic Ascension explores the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream.” Driven by mesmerizing—and sometimes humorous—imagery, this observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

2021

It's a Free World...

It's a Free World... 2007

6.55

Angie is a working class woman. After being fired, she decides to set up a recruitment agency of her own, running it from her kitchen with her friend, Rose. Taking advantage of the desperation of immigrants, Angie builds a successful business extremely quickly.

2007

The Navigators

The Navigators 2001

6.80

In South Yorkshire, a small group of railway maintenance men discover that because of privatization, their lives will never be the same. When the trusty British Rail sign is replaced by one reading East Midland Infrastructure, it is clear that there will be the inevitable winners and losers as downsizing and efficiency become the new buzzwords.

2001

A Single Spark

A Single Spark 1995

7.20

Activist and law school graduate Kim is being persecuted by the mid-’70s Park regime for trying to write a book about Jeon Tae-il, a union activist who immolated himself at age 22 to protest government hypocrisy.

1995

Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On

Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On 2021

6.00

When Taeil gets hired as a tailor's assistant, he dreams of becoming a fully-fledged tailor to be able to financially support his family. But he finds himself constantly reminded of the laborers' inferior working conditions. The young 22-year-old Taeil decides to confront the reality and become the flame of hope himself.

2021

The Night Before the Strike

The Night Before the Strike 1990

6.20

There are 200 miserably impoverished people working in the Dongseong Metalworks Factory. Ju Wan-ik is introduced to the forging team as a new member of the team and they all go drinking together to welcome him.

1990

Ciudad a la Espalda

Ciudad a la Espalda 2023

1

María and Isabel are two women in their fifties who, like many others, recycle in Quito, where there is no recycling system. María leads a collective fight for basic labor rights; while Isabel transmits her knowledge of environmental care while she raises her daughters.

2023

The Gig Is Up

The Gig Is Up 2021

7.20

A very human tech doc, uncovers the real costs of the platform economy through the lives of workers from around the world for companies including Uber, Amazon and Deliveroo. From delivering food and driving ride shares to tagging images for AI, millions of people around the world are finding work task by task online. The gig economy is worth over 5 trillion USD globally, and growing. And yet the stories of the workers behind this tech revolution have gone largely neglected. Who are the people in this shadow workforce? It brings their stories into the light. Lured by the promise of flexible work hours, independence, and control over time and money, workers from around the world have found a very different reality. Work conditions are often dangerous, pay often changes without notice, and workers can effectively be fired through deactivation or a bad rating. Through an engaging global cast of characters, it reveals how the magic of technology we are being sold might not be magic at all.

2021

A March to Remember

A March to Remember 2019

6.60

Vitoria, Basque Country, Spain, March 3rd, 1976. After several months of protests demanding decent working conditions, representatives of struggling workers call for a general strike. In the church of San Francisco, in the working class neighborhood of Zaramaga, thousands of workers fill the temple in assembly. Outside, many more people gather and, in the middle, about a hundred heavily armed police officers wait to act.

2019

Factory Complex

Factory Complex 2015

7.80

The drastic economic development in South Korea once surprised the rest of the world. However, behind of it was an oppression the marginalized female laborers had to endure. The film invites us to the lives of the working class women engaged in the textile industry of the 1960s, all the way through the stories of flight attendants, cashiers, and non-regular workers of today. As we encounter the vista of female factory workers in Cambodia that poignantly resembles the labor history of Korea, the form of labor changes its appearance but the essence of the bread-and-butter question remains still.

2015

My Turn

My Turn 2017

1

It's not her turn, but she's pregnant.

2017

The Empire of Shame

The Empire of Shame 2014

8.00

A documentary about the continuing case of Samsung semiconductor plant. The film is a story about nameless people wearing white coat, hat and mask worked in a clean room exposing eyes only.

2014

Out of Darkness: The Mine Workers' Story

Out of Darkness: The Mine Workers' Story 1990

1

OUT OF DARKNESS: THE MINE WORKERS' STORY is a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY, USA). Historical film footage and photographs are integrated with first-hand accounts of UMWA history and of the Pittston strike of 1989-90.

1990

Vigo 1972

Vigo 1972 2017

1

‘VIGO 1972’ narrates the events which took place in Vigo in September 1972, when the firing of five Citröen auto workers resulted in the largest general strike in the history of Galicia — with over thirty thousand workers — all of this during the Franco dictatorship in Spain.

2017

An Unsatisfying Metaphor

An Unsatisfying Metaphor 2020

8.00

Documentary about the history of 20th century globalization through the lens of the World Trade Organization's changing art collection; from works of human subjects showcasing the potential of dignified labor, to their replacement with abstract maps and grids for the valorization of the modern trade system.

2020

The Island of Shadows

The Island of Shadows 2016

1

The workers talk about the pleasure of starting work in a shipyard, the pride of making the vessel, and the recognition of workers and the high spirit of their novel struggle. There was solidarity everywhere, even in each other's mind. But there is no more energy in Hanjin Shipyard. The workers have been laid-off and the strike shows no sign of stopping. A 34 year-old worker committed suicide as well. It's the fourth who has become a martyr for the cause. Why have the laborers who worked at Hanjin shipyard separated like this? They are starting to ask themselves why they decided to hate each other.

2016

The Awl

The Awl 2015

7.90

The drama tells the story of average workers, who silently work hard on each one’s own task. They finally pull together as a team to fight through a difficult and unfair situation. Lee Soo-In has the kind of temperament where he has to do the right thing no matter what. After his discharge from the military, he finds work at a large retail market. One day, his boss orders him to fire temporary employees at the store. Lee Soo-In refuses to do so and decides to join the labor union. He and the temporary employees struggle against unfair dismissals. The drama is based on a webtoon of the same name, which is in turn inspired by real-life events that transpired in 2002 when union workers were unfairly fired from large supermarket chain Carrefour, and fought back.

2015