One of the most significant effects of this pandemic on the world will be related to labor.
It’s already evident. Some people have made the switch to a completely different setting while seemingly performing the same tasks. Others have gotten to perform the same work in an increasingly dangerous scenario. And some can’t perform their jobs anymore because of what they entail.
And whether you’re of the lucky ones who get to keep their job, or lacking stability as a result of the economic upheaval, one thing is clear: COVID-19 will affect the way we all work. And some of the particularities of it are not discussed as much as necessary.
We’ve recently seen a bunch of films that made us think of how work was present in our lives before and how it will change further.
This is where the creators and protagonists came from:
You might have heard about American farmers dumping vast amounts of milk, eggs, and crops, and planning to cull hogs because of a drop in demand. Usually, the press presents such articles as sob stories, but they’re pretty infuriating because they highlight the inequalities perpetuated by the supply and demand systems. And what we don’t get in those articles is the role that seasonal laborers play in farming: and the dangers and indignities they’re facing. “Vas-Y Coupe!” looks at that issue, but using the example of a family-owned French vineyard, where everything is just a bit gentler and fancier—definitely an aspirational model for the Americans. A laidback documentary, it allows for a slow-paced pondering of what is and isn’t fair in the seasonal produce market, what should stay and what should go.
FROM FRANCE and UNITED STATES:
A winemaking family, seasonal laborers and grapes blighted by a fungus in this rigorous documentary that offers an outsider’s exploration of the grind that goes into each glass of wine
Sex work is work; there’s no doubt about that. It might become something else when work is abolished, but for now, it’s just honest labor. Even pope Francis has recently engaged in a bailout for a bunch of Latinx sex workers stuck under lockdown in Italy. But it’s infuriating how rarely we get to see sex workers in films depicted without all the unnecessary pontificating but also not romanticized: just doing their thing. “Ponyboi” is a breath of fresh air, in this instance and others, because it offers a lovely, pure and very appealing portrayal of an intersex person who works at a laundromat at day and does sex work by night while dreaming away about a man to sweep him off his feet.
FROM UNITED STATES, EL SALVADOR, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA and JAMAICA
A sensual, exquisite tale about love and self-acceptance blends dreamscapes with reality and centers around a Latinx sex-worker, who, just like the co-creator and lead River Gallo, is intersex
The concept of “productivity” is just one of the ways humans are being reduced to the surplus-value they can bring. And it remains especially important to be able to see work in its less apparent iterations from the point of view of capitalist production. Chores are work; parenting is work; hobbies are work. And an all-encompassing passion project, which at times puts a strain on your family life and safety is definitely work. “Pigeon Kings” is an inspiring documentary about a bunch of men in South Central LA, putting their hearts and toils into rearing a special breed of competitive pigeons. But it’s also much more: a look at what labor of love, something for which society should have more space and infrastructure, really means.
FROM UNITED STATES:
A melodic sketch of a subculture of pigeon devotees in South Central LA ruminates on the essence of greatness and care
Now, when industries are put to a halt, and a deep economic recession is reshaping the labor landscape, we’re more than ever curious about the future of work.
Will the food production industry, based on greed and lobbying, adapt when the threat of impending hunger becomes too large to ignore? And what will it mean for its laborers, underprivileged and often migrants?
Will the way we approach sex work change in a post-pandemic world where physical contact is such a fraught issue? And will the precarious nature of the sex workers’ labors ever guarantee them increased rights and protection?
Or will none of this matter because everything will irreversibly change, and we’ll finally live in a happy world where no one has to kill themselves to put bread on the table, and we’ll all just breed cool birds and live happily?
And that’s another type of admirable work for you: organizing to make this happen. There has never been a better time to organize strikes—or help others organize strikes—to make the best kind of reality possible.
We’ve got some work cut out for us.
Hope you enjoy Supamodu and feel compelled to forward this email to your friends.
Thank you for being with us! 💛
— Katya Kazbek,
editor-in-chief
