When people buy bagels at their favorite bakery, they might not realize some of the work challenges the person behind the counter faces.
The Hand That Feeds will be shown at The Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., Wednesday at 7 p.m. as part of the Spring Sustainability Series. The movie touches on some of those challenges, specifically for undocumented workers. The event is free for all who attend.
The Hand That Feeds follows undocumented workers at a popular bakery and café in New York City. The employees are faced with harsh working conditions and low wages, so they decide to team up with a "diverse crew of innovative young organizers,” form an independent union and risk deportation, according to its website.
The documentary film was made in 2014 and has won awards at international film festivals, including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago Latino Film Festival.
The topic of undocumented workers is “terrifyingly pertinent” right now, Loraine McCosker, outreach coordinator in environmental studies and coordinator of the Common Experience Project on Sustainability, said. The topic was important under the former President Barack Obama too, she said, but is even more important under the current presidential administration.
The film highlights problems workers face and the importance of treating employees with respect, McCosker said. The people featured in the film are forced to come to work when they are sick because they are fearful, she added, which demonstrates the exploitative system.
“It’s not sustainable that we have an economy that exploits workers … whether they’re documented or undocumented,” she said.
Alena Klimas, the vice president of the International Student Union, said there are not many positive images of immigration right now.
“I think in the political climate and social climate these days it’s important to get a positive image,” Klimas, a senior studying political science, said. “(The film) sort of humanizes the story of immigration.”
A film can allow students to gain different perspectives on topics, Tina Caporaso, a senior studying communication studies and community and public health, said. By watching a film, people can become more tolerant of other people’s values and empathize with them, she added.
“It’s super relevant to today’s political environment,” Caporaso said. “It’s a good for college students to a see a different perspective other than (what is seen) on social media and the news.”
