China Blue

I just watched a tragic documentary called China Blue about the manufacture of jeans in Chinese factories by migrant workers. The documentary follows the life of Jasmine, a 16 year old girl from the Sichuan province, as she moves away from home to work in a jean manufacturing plant. She hopes to earn money to support her family, particularly her young sister. At the plant, she is forced to work 30 hour shifts without overtime, and she is only payed the equivalent of six cents an hour. She toils day after day with monotonous work and squalid living conditions. Her bosses even withhold her pay for nearly two months at one point with no explanation. After merely seven weeks on the job she transforms from a young, vibrant child into a bitter and hopeless automaton. Such is the life of a factory worker in Modern China.

The film is a stunning condemnation of our consumerist culture in the West and our exploitation of cheap overseas labor. The film also lays blame on the Chinese system which allows for such abuses to be doled out upon millions of its young workers. It's a must see film and after watching it you'll have a lot of trouble buying a new pair of designer jeans with a clean conscience. You can watch a brief preview below.