Documentary Review Assignment –MGMT 3030
Focus Documentary
CBC News. “Made in Bangladesh - The Fifth Estate.” YouTube. October 3, 2014. Posted October 25, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onD5UOP5z_c.
The documentary, Made in Bangladesh, made by CBC, addresses the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh and the increase in awareness that came from the outside. The documentary addresses the lack of care that was put into safety for the workers by both the factory owners and the contracting retail companies, focusing on the years leading up to the Rana Plaza catastrophe, where clothing made for Canadian consumers of Joe Fresh apparel was being made. The documentary discusses the circumstances around the working conditions of the Bangladesh garment industry. CBC, as a Canadian producer and broadcaster, focuses on the production of clothes sent to Canada from the factories in Bangladesh. They use facts and research alongside personal stories of workers and survivors to put interest the viewers from both a pathos and logos approach.
The documentary is structured in a way that presents the factual information first, and uses accounts of the people involved to reiterate the impact that the garment industry has on the Bangladeshi work force, both before the Rana Plaza collapse and after. This is done to compare the situations before and after to highlight the lack of improvement in safety and awareness. The documentary follows a timeline, from the years before, to the collapse itself, and the years following. It analyzes the safety measures that were being used by the factories in Bangladesh, citing the lack of involvement from the large retailers, focusing on Loblaw’s (owner of Joe Fresh) and Walmart, some of the largest apparel retailers. In particular, the documentary looks at the occurrences of fires that frequented the garment factories for many years. In particular, the documentary highlights the deadly Tazreen factory fire, in which a short circuit on the first floor trapped workers in a building with barred windows and no fire safety measures. To demonstrate the disconnect between the condition of garment workers in Bangladesh and Canadian consumers, the documentary follows Sujeet Sennik, a clothing designer for retailers like Walmart, whose clothing was made by Bangladeshi garment workers. Sennik discusses his initial reaction to the Rana Plaza collapse and the lack of empathy from the retailers who were more concerned with profits. Following this, he accompanies the documentary crew and follows his Walmart shirt design through the garment making process, uncovering the unsafe conditions in which his work is made. Sennik has the opportunity to meet the workers that worked on his design, and in his encounter, the workers outline the dangerous conditions of the factories. They also talk to an amputated survivor about the safety overlook that the factories owners display. In particular, the workers discuss the emotional and physical abuse they face for any mistakes, and the unpaid involuntary overtime that they are forced to do. For the buildings themselves, Sennik and the documentary crew talk to the workers and find that fires are a regular occurrence, and that the factories themselves are built in subpar locations, and illegal floors are added to increase production in exchange for safety. They also discuss the pollutants that is released in waste, and the harmful chemicals and dyes that the workers are exposed to without protective gear.
The evidence that is used in the documentary is used to track Sennik’s garment to the factory and the workers that made the clothes. The crew utilizes the tag on the shirt to track the shipment, and working backwards, found the factory in which it was made. Using the information provided by the Walmart’s shipping records and their disclosed data, Sennik finds that the company that manufactured his shirt. However, the evidence concludes that the factory, Hasan Tanvir, shows that it had been blacklisted by Walmart in the previous year, and was currently completing a last order. The factory had been blacklisted because of various safety violations that jeopardized Walmart’s operations in that factory. Another vital piece of evidence is the exclusive interview conducted with the owner of the Rana Plaza, who is currently serving jail time for negligence. Due to government laws, the interview is not recorded, but the host of the documentary relays the information and states that the owner faced deadline pressure from the Canadian and American retailers, saying that the only policy was timely delivery. This interview shines a light on the precarious situation of the owners of the factories, and by extension, the workers. The large retailers put immense pressure on its factories and suppliers for large orders, increasing demand consistently. With customers like Joe Fresh, who brought in about $6 million yearly for the Rana Plaza, owners compromised the safety of the workers and the structural integrity of the buildings in order to increase capacity and productivity.
The visual imagery used in the documentary emphasizes the negative impact of the garment industry on the people and environment of Bangladesh. While acknowledging the economic growth and importance of the garment industry, responsible for 80% of the country’s exports, the video provides a stark image of the poverty in which the business is conducted. It displays the intense dependency of the country on the very industry that endangers the majority of its populace. The crowded workspaces, the unsafe buildings, and the incarcerating nature of the factories is testament to the struggles of the population. Eloquently put by the amputee survivor of the Rana Plaza collapse, while she is afraid of going back to work in a garment factory, there is no other viable choice, even with her disability. These images have a great impact on the Canadian consumer, unaware of the effects of their shopping habits that is felt in the countries that produce their clothing.
In conclusion, the documentary, Made in Bangladesh, revisits the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse and serves to educate the western consumer on not just the single event, but also the circumstances that preceded and the aftermath. The documentary effectively utilizes a logos and pathos approach to highlight the unsafe working conditions of the Bangladeshi garment workers. The positive aspect of this documentary is the firsthand accounts of the hazardous conditions and the focus on what has been done to better the situation, and where the large retailers are still lacking in their ethical responsibility to ensure safe workspace. Thus, CBC’s documentary is an educational piece that brings forth the current state of the Bangladesh garment factory after Rana Plaza, and implores for heightened responsibility from the government and the retailers in tandem.
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