The Washing Society - An experimental narrative that brings us into New York City laundromats and the experiences of the people who work there. When you drop off a bag of dirty laundry, who's doing the washing and folding? “The Washing Society” brings us into New York City laundromats and the experiences of the people who work there. Collaborating together for the first time, filmmaker Lynne Sachs and playwright Lizzie Olesker observe the disappearing public space of the neighborhood laundromat and the continual, intimate labor that happens there. With a title inspired by the 1881 organization of African-American laundresses, “The Washing Society” investigates the intersection of history, underpaid work, immigration, and the sheer math of doing laundry. (2018, 44 min)
Shorts (to precede):
Division Ave - The fight for justice of a Latina cleaning lady in Hasidic Brooklyn.
A few days before Passover, Fernanda, a young Mexican woman, is hired by a Brooklyn cleaning agency to work in the local Jewish Hasidic community. Despite a prolonged wait for her payment, Fernanda continues to faithfully show up for work each day at Nechama’s house. An unexpected connection between the two leads to a fight for justice against the cleaning agency at fault, bridging the gaps between their very different worlds.
The story behind “Division Ave” is inspired by true events happening to this day on the corner of Division & Marcy Ave in Brooklyn, NY. This modern day slave labor started decades ago in the early 1990’s, in a different Williamsburg location. It is common practice for individuals and companies to frequent Division & Marcy early in the morning and hire a cleaning lady for the day. The women, mostly immigrants from Latin America and Eastern Europe, are often underpaid and/or sexually abused. (2018, 14 min)
All In A Day’s Work - Through a series of comedic vignettes, All in a Day’s Work shows the daily life of certain queer women, and how projection and prejudice makes people feel threatened by two queer bodies near each other. Two queer working class friends make a living in New York City by working in the lower rungs of America’s premier online retailer. After a long day at the office and the warehouse, they attend an after-work party, run an errand, end-up at a speed-dating event, and top off the day at their favorite bar. (2018, 10 min, Animated)