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Made in Bangladesh

After the fire at Rana Plaza in 2013 and the deaths of over a thousand textile workers, director Rubaiyat Hossain decides to make a film about the struggle of the courageous young women who rebel against the circumstances. A young union leader tells her about life under poor working conditions, patriarchal family structures and Islamization. The story of Shimu is based on her stories.

Shimu is in his early 20s and works in a textile factory in Dhaka. As a teenager, she had run away from her village to escape an arranged marriage.

She had initially worked as a housemaid in the city. Now it deserves better, but working conditions are marked by injustice and exploitation. When a short circuit sets off a fire, panic breaks out among the fleeing women. One colleague dies, others are seriously injured, Shimu gets away with a shock.

When the workers are denied parts of their wages, some accept it, others protest and decide – on the advice of an NGO – to found a trade union. Shimu takes the initiative and also resists the pressure and threats of the management. When Shimus' husband learns of this, he forbids her from continuing to engage. However, the union registration is almost reached and Shimu is no longer willing to continue to submit to the patriarchal structures – neither at work nor in her marriage.

The film can be rented via the Protestant Center for Development-related Films as a Blue Ray/DVD or for streaming.

Duration: 95 minutes
Reference: Information about the film and the loan