Laborfest: 2 Films: Claiming Our Voice & Schoolidarity

FilmWorks United International Working Class Film & Video Festival
Claiming Our Voice
(2013)(20.5 min)(USA) by Jennifer Pritheevea
The struggle of immigrant South Asian workers in the US is the focus of the group Andolan. This film tells the stories of these South Asian women who have become domestic workers and their struggle for decent working conditions and labor rights. The Domestic Workers United and the National Domestic Workers Alliance have defended and supported the organization of 1.8 million domestic workers. More than 99% of these workers are foreign born, and 93% are women. The video also tells the story through a play called Sukh aur Dukh ki Kahani (Stories of Joy and Sorrow). This theater project puts the workers’ talents and skills to work in expressing their lives and hopes.

Schoolidarity (2014)(90 min)(USA) by Andrew Friend
This documentary looks at the attack on teachers in Chicago who are members of the Chicago Teachers Union CTU and links it to Governor Scott Walker’s attack on public workers in Wisconsin.
The documentary exposes the scapegoating of teachers and the push to privatize education by Obama’s former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, exposes the forces behind privatization and who will benefit from privatization.
The film also looks at efforts to move toward a general strike in Wisconsin against Walker’s program instead of a strategy of electing Democrats in the legislature.
See also:
http://www.pritheeva.com/bio
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3668201/?ref_=tt_ov_dr (Andrew Friend's filmography)
http://www.laborfest.net/2015/2015schedule.htm