New documentary “Migrant Dreams” at DOXA Film Festival May 7th

Migrant workers, activists with Justicia for Migrant Workers and the filmmakers celebrating the sold-out premiere of Migrant Dreams in Toronto on May 1st, 2016.

Migrant workers, activists with Justicia for Migrant Workers and the filmmakers celebrating the sold-out premiere of Migrant Dreams in Toronto on May 1st, 2016.

Award-winning filmmaker Min Sook Lee’s new 90-minute film Migrant Dreams will be screening this week in Vancouver. This documentary explores the stories of migrant workers from Mexico, Jamaica, and Southeast Asia employed under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in the greenhouses of Leamington, Ontario.

Migrant Dreams depicts how, for many farm workers, the dream of a well-paying job becomes a nightmare when they are deceived into paying outrageous fees to brokers and recruiters, and how their employers impose curfews, confiscate passports, and charge exorbitant rental fees for cockroach-infested apartments. This investigative exposé documents the struggle of a group of women from Indonesia who, with the help of Evelyn and Cathy, two tireless community activists, take a stand and confront their employer. Thus, it not only focuses on structural conditions of exploitation for migrant workers, but also their stories of strength, resilience and love.

The film will be shown on Saturday, May 7th, at Cinematheque in Vancouver, starting at 2:00 PM. Ticket information: http://www.doxafestival.ca/film/migrant

Interview with Min Sook Lee and Evelyn Encalada on CBC’s The Current: http://bit.ly/1T6S4F7