On Wednesday, May 14, the MultiCultural Center hosted a screening for the documentary film, Made in L.A. The film, directed and produced by Almudena Carracedo, compiles the journey of three Latina women working in the garment industry in Downtown Los Angeles.
Guadalupe Hernandez, Maura Colorado, and Maria Pineda, who come from very different situations, come together to fight for recognition and compensation for their arduous sweatshop labor. The event, which attracted a full house, was followed by a question and answer segment.
One of the key characteristics of this film was its ability to convey humor in a situation, which dealt with serious issues of exploitation and degradation. The humor of the film creates a rapport with the audience by making its message accessible without diluting its gravity.
In one scene, Colorado visits a museum in Baltimore, which shows the conditions of a sweatshop utilized by an immigrant Polish family decades ago. The display proved that that conditions for immigrant sweatshop workers has paradoxically progressed minimally, while remaining stagnant throughout the years. Although the film focuses on the struggles of Latino workers, the producers make sure to emphasize the affects of sweatshops for other social groups as well.
Overall, the film was not only informative, but also engaging because it allowed the audience to connect with characters on a personal level. The film exemplifies the necessity of perseverance, patience, and unity in order to exert change.