When making a series of documentaries on the garment and shoe industries, it became extremely obvious to me that within the framework of globalized manufacturing, poor people tend to be squeezed ever further into the margins. The clearest examples are factories manufacturing products in the Third World. As I continued to film, a faint sense of disquiet surfaced in my mind. The march of globalization is unstoppable – on this earth, is there any hope that people might fight against the current and find a means to survive?
Following along this line of reasoning, I met Professor Chen Hsin-Hsing in 2006, and discussed visiting Just Garments in El Salvador – an apparel factory unique in the world – to see how they live. Several months later, at the end of 2006, Just Garment’s business became unstable, and I in turn began to feel uneasy in my heart. But I thought, at least I can film the workers sewing clothes in their factory!
At the time we were boarding our airplane, the landlord of Just Garments was locking the factory’s gates, and I had no choice but to throw away my original script, and make up a new film plan. Originally, I had intended to film how a group of people had built their dreams, but I found myself telling the story of how a dream was shattered. My feeling is, it is far more common for people to confront frustration than to achieve a dream. In this group of workers in Central America, I saw courage and strength in the face of defeat.
HO Chao-ti
Following along this line of reasoning, I met Professor Chen Hsin-Hsing in 2006, and discussed visiting Just Garments in El Salvador – an apparel factory unique in the world – to see how they live. Several months later, at the end of 2006, Just Garment’s business became unstable, and I in turn began to feel uneasy in my heart. But I thought, at least I can film the workers sewing clothes in their factory!
At the time we were boarding our airplane, the landlord of Just Garments was locking the factory’s gates, and I had no choice but to throw away my original script, and make up a new film plan. Originally, I had intended to film how a group of people had built their dreams, but I found myself telling the story of how a dream was shattered. My feeling is, it is far more common for people to confront frustration than to achieve a dream. In this group of workers in Central America, I saw courage and strength in the face of defeat.
HO Chao-ti
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