Dark, dingy factories. Workers hunched elbow-to-elbow over machines. Nike. Guess. Kathy Lee Gifford. We are all too familiar with sweatshops, operating both in the U.S. and overseas. But does what’s behind the label of what you wear always have to be linked to worker exploitation? Enter SweatX and American Apparel, two hip T-shirt factories that operate in downtown Los Angeles, just blocks from each other. Both companies are committed to creating “sweat-free” clothing (i.e. their workers earn livable wages and get benefits, work in safe environments, etc). While Sweat X is backed by $2.5 million from ice cream-maker turned social activist Ben Cohen, (of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream), American Apparel was built from the ground up by controversial self-described Canadian “schmata” hustler, Dov Charney. “NO SWEAT” is a fast-paced, behind-the scenes documentary that follows these two companies for one year, comparing their divergent business practices, interviewing workers, following a union drive, and zeroing in on the hopes and dreams of the garment workers themselves. While Dov gets slapped with sexual harassment allegations and openly resists unionization, Sweat X struggles to survive in the tight economic conditions that have sent so much of their competition overseas. Racy ads, or sound labor practices? Legalize L.A., or subcontract the work? So much of what both companies are grappling with resonates on a global scale, as the garment industry provides a first-stop for immigrant workers fleeing subhuman conditions in China, Southeast Asia, and South America. So what’s behind the label of your T-shirt?

Forms: Documentary, Feature, Television
Genres: Educational, Human Rights, Independent, Urban, Culture
Niches: Hispanic, Latino, Third World, Women