Made in Bangladesh

Synopsis

Chances are at least one item in your clothes closet started its life in Bangladesh. This is a story of the women who make our jeans and T-shirts, told as a moving, suspenseful tale not simply of exploitation, but also of empowerment. Director Rubaiyat Hossain has achieved something remarkable, turning what could have been simply dry or guilt-inducing into a colorful, constantly engaging drama. Shimu (Rikita Nandini Shimu) fled her village as a child when her stepmother threatened to marry her off to a middle-aged man. Now 23 and living in the capital, she works grueling hours for paltry sums at a textile factory while her husband searches for work. After a fire in the factory results in the death of a co-worker, Shimu is approached by a union advocate who provides her with a crash course in women workers' rights - and the tools to enforce them.