Complicit is being presented as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York City. Visit the official site for other cities and dates.
We tend to think that unsafe factories and sweatshops are a thing of the past, exposed by muckrackers in the U.S. in the early twentieth century. But workers around the world are still in danger on the job, putting in long hours in hazardous conditions. This riveting documentary looks at the situation in China.
Under the guidance of Heather White and Lynn Zhang's direction, Complicit exposes the working conditions at Foxconn in China. It is world's largest contract electronics manufacturer whose largest client is Apple. China produces about 90% of the world's consumer electronics including smart phones, cameras, and personal computers.
The film begins with the musings of a teenage migrant worker who has just arrived in the large and seemingly glamorous city of Guangzhou to work in one of the prosperous factories. She and her girlfriends work wiping iPhone screens. But before long, they get sick. We learn that Foxconn and its subcontractors are using the chemical solvents Benzene and n-Hexane, known carcinogens that can lead to paralysis and cancer in workers.
Complicit reveals the suffering, pain, and frustration of the workers who are victims not only of poisonous chemicals but also of long working hours, poor ventilation, and the staggering legal hurtles to obtain financial compensation after their lives have been turned upside down by debilitating diseases.
We follow the anti-corporate activism of Yi Yeting, himself a victim of benzene poisoning, who helps workers navigate the medical and legal channels to get assistance. We salute the efforts of this migrant worker–turned human rights activist whose crusade to expose the predatory practices of large electronic companies is courageous and ethically rigorous. We also asked ourselves some serious questions about our own loyalty and support of smart phones, personal computers, and other devices created by big named brands.