The movie exposes some ugly corners in manufacturing world in China, hiring young girls to work in sweatshop conditions on low wages. This exposes the harsh reality of China- a third world developing country. The country has the world largest population of 3.1 Billion, has it ever occurred to anybody how each and every one of the people get fed and housed and maybe provided glimpses of hope of getting out of dire poverty situation? How come there are so many people outside China got so upset with China over their one-child policy? ( I certainly understand that family planning should not be something that government sticks their noses in and it is government wrongdoing in that practice )-- The harsh reality is: the population was simply exploding and families couldn't afford to feed all. Can you imagine what the people was wearing and eating late 70's? What the movie shows is one sea side area ( with probably no forms of industry )in Fujian province, how come nobody picks up what the father was saying over and over again: if my daughter does not work in this factory, she will be working in another factory...I'll probably send her outside ( of the country ) to...make money, if you have money you can build factory, you 'll be rich... It all sounds too familiar like a dream/nightmare for a bottom-feeder penniless nameless young man becomes rich and fast. How real is that in today's world? I'm sorry, but it seems to me that in his eye, she is like a money -making machine. Some kind of father/parent. (But don't mistake that all fathers in China are like that. As a matter of fact, it's a ...regional thing. )If you ever read reports or visited families in Missisippi river area, you'll know for some reaosn quite some families do not hold similar values over education like you and me. Sorry I strayed, back to the movie now. In the interview that the crew followed her to her hometown where they met with her family, her nephew said she quit high school, others all silenced him. So she didn't like school, or she didn't do well in school, so what? She deserves food and shelter and a job, right? Sounds good, but who's going to provide that? What about the other 9999 high school graduates in the district? Well, let me put it this way, in China, education is about the only way for a future of any kind of decent ( professional, well-paying,busy, hard-working, reqarding and fulfilling) living. But doesn't it go like that in all over the world? Try to land and hold on a job like that in America! What goes around comes around. Come to think of it, in this world, Far East and Western, a lot of things are quite similar and different at core level. While this movie is a provocative movie that exposed some ugly corners in the manufacture end and consumer end of the business chain, the images created mixed messages. This is a consumer world among all other descriptors we can use for our endearing Earth home for all mankind,like it or not, think of it like this: when you produce, you do your best; when you consume, you try to have fun. The value on each end are measured by different components! The both ends are just not , in real world, lined up like that as shown in the movie unless you are trying to send some message. Say, a teacher in a low-performing district , when he/she does the job, does he/she think of the 60% of his students who have no hope of graduation at all, or probably end up in some low life indecent doings? Can we trace it backwards like this: well, since 60% of the students are not going too far in life, the job of the teacher just holds no or low value, it should just be trashed like those trinkets in New Orleans... Back to the movie: Let me ask this question: where do you think the girls are going in life? I do think they or any human being deserves decent working condition and fair wages, don't get me wrong, the job does give her a way out as pointed in the movie. I am pleased to see that recycled beads are sent as "care package" to soldiers in Iraq. Is the movie about wastefull bizarre lifestyle and recycling beads, or fighting for decent wages for the girls in factories? My conclussion is that David wants to take upon something LOUD, but I think he made a poor choice in this as an movie artist. Someone may be very upset that poor China ( or rich ...)is the largest debtor of Uncel Sam...it's so condusing to many! It's not China's problem, the problem is with economic chain itself. China is just a game player like Uncle Sam in the global market. Watch out, here comes China.
Review of Mardi Gras: Made in China
