Customer Reviews

No Sweat

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I really wish that I could give this movie a great review, because the subject matter is so important. American Apparel is a terrific company that strives to give equal opportunity work to Latinos. The company bends over backwards to pay workers fairly, treat them well, and does unprecedented things such as providing massage therapist for aching shoulders, as well as English lessons. Sounds like a utopia, but it's simply what the workers deserve.

SweatX, backed by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, is another awesome company that treats workers really well. And there are some very interesting and disconcerting facts in this documentary. For example, I didn't know that LA was the home to garment workers. I still thought that it was New York.

So, in terms of learning, this is a great movie. But in terms of entertainment, it's really slow moving, repetitive and boring in parts. And I say that as a documentary fan. I don't need or want anything to be sensational, but I wasn't even able to finish this whole movie, which is a shame because it has a fantastic message, and I take my hat off to both companies -- literally :-)

In the opening minutes of No Sweat, a new documentary from filmmaker Amie Williams, Ben and Jerry's cofounder Ben Cohen explains his reasoning for creating the clothing manufacturer SweatX: "Some of us started to wonder if there might be a way to take the sweat out of the shop." Similarly, Canadian entrepreneur Dov Charney founded American Apparel in an attempt to show that American-made clothing could compete in the global marketplace. In Williams' excellent hour-long documentary, both businesses are examined and showcased in equal proportion.

Interviewing the two CEOs, management, factory workers, union organizers, and many others involved in the manufacturing industry, Williams seeks to look at both SweatX and American Apparel from all angles, showing the positive effects of the different management styles as well as the difficulties faced by each organization. Charney offers the most entertainment throughout the documentary, with his intrepid and controversial leadership style and explosive (and candid) commentary.

Though it's clear that No Sweat is out to promote the idea of providing living wages for factory workers, by the end of the film the prognosis for the "sweat-free" sweatshop seems a bit dim, as SweatX folds (despite their $2.5 million venture capital funding) and Charney faces sexual harassment charges (which he claims are unfounded). But judging from the success of American Apparel in recent years, and the universal appeal of their "best brand is no brand" attitude, Charney has proven that it is possible to compete in the clothing industry while also paying a living wage to all factory workers. And with Bill Gates heavily promoting Creative Capitalism in recent years (much of the footage for No Sweat takes place in 2003, and the film was completed in 2006) American Apparel should be seeing other clothing manufacturers follow suit.