China Blue brings us what a powerhouse reality is all about. Think about the jeans you are wearing and how much effort, sweat and lack of sleep went into making it. How many times have you thought about that? So for people who say that they will not buy Chinese made Jeans as this industry weakens American made Jeans (if any left) or exploits people then think about the benefits (as little as they may be) the people that put effort into making this Jeans get. What can we say? this is the world that we are living at regardless of which country it is. It is the nature of growing economies - people have to make choices and sometimes do not have choices to make, are being exploited, working around the clock so the future generations will fair better. Sounds familiar? This is where our grand-parents and sometimes great-uncles and aunties had to go through to get us the kind of life we now take for granted in the western society will live in.
Micha Peled manages to convey the story about the people behind this economic power in a fascinating way. It is told mostly from the view point of a girl, 16 years old factory worker Jasmine. But from my point of view, everyone, even the factory manager gets to be humane. On one hand the tension the managers go through of whether they'll succeed in delivering the goods and the impact it has on all the workers, and on the other hand the grim sacrifice Jasmine had to make in order for her sister to get a better education, one which has been denied from her. We witness that similar sacrifices by most of the workers.
However, this is the price of modernity and in essence it can not be avoided. After all, quite a few factories in China went bankrupt as they were not able to compete. But, like Nike sweatshops in Indonesia we have to voice our concerns about the working conditions of the people who make the products we consume. Not to stop this powerhouse but to provide the right support for workers rights. After all, without these kind of jobs they would fair much worse.
Anecdote - the girl's goldfish that "can choose when to sleep", unlike the girl. The goldfish is a symbol of prosperity (in the ancient times common people were not allowed to own it).
Watched the movie on Australia's SBS.
Micha Peled manages to convey the story about the people behind this economic power in a fascinating way. It is told mostly from the view point of a girl, 16 years old factory worker Jasmine. But from my point of view, everyone, even the factory manager gets to be humane. On one hand the tension the managers go through of whether they'll succeed in delivering the goods and the impact it has on all the workers, and on the other hand the grim sacrifice Jasmine had to make in order for her sister to get a better education, one which has been denied from her. We witness that similar sacrifices by most of the workers.
However, this is the price of modernity and in essence it can not be avoided. After all, quite a few factories in China went bankrupt as they were not able to compete. But, like Nike sweatshops in Indonesia we have to voice our concerns about the working conditions of the people who make the products we consume. Not to stop this powerhouse but to provide the right support for workers rights. After all, without these kind of jobs they would fair much worse.
Anecdote - the girl's goldfish that "can choose when to sleep", unlike the girl. The goldfish is a symbol of prosperity (in the ancient times common people were not allowed to own it).
Watched the movie on Australia's SBS.