An intimate view of new models of work, politics and community development…
Argentina: Hope in Hard Times
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
'Que se vayan todos!' Chants echo off the skyscrapers, burst through the plazas, and clamor down the streets of Buenos Aires. 'Throw them all out!' shout legions of frustrated Argentine housewives, students and lawyers, weaving their way through the city one summer evening, banging on pots and pans.
What would you do if you lost your job, they closed the banks so you couldn't access your savings, and the government seemed unable to help? In Argentina they stormed supermarkets for food; the police gunned down 30 people in just one day. But what happened next was truly extraordinary.
ARGENTINA - HOPE IN HARD TIMES joins in the processions and protests, attends street-corner neighborhood assemblies, visits workers' cooperatives and urban gardens, taking a close-up look at the ways in which Argentines are picking up the pieces of their devastated economy and creating new possibilities for the future. A spare narrative, informal interview settings, and candid street scenes allow the pervasive strength, humor, and resilience of the Argentine people to tell these tales. These are their inspiring stories - of a failed economy and distrusted politicians, of heartache and hard times, of a resurgence of grassroots democracy and the spirit of community - told in resonant detail.
'ARGENTINA: HOPE IN HARD TIMES is an eloquent and powerful film about a country and a situation few Americans know much about. It is not only educational but inspirational in its depiction of a people fighting for justice under what seem impossible circumstances. I hope it will be widely seen in the United States.' Howard Zinn, Author, A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present, Terrorism and War
'A wonderfully effective education piece on issues relating to the global economy and the real consequences of IMF/World Bank policies...the documentary illustrates in a beautiful and powerful way the potential that lies within ordinary people to truly care for one another and to self-organize their resources, communities, and enterprises to the benefit of all if presented with the need and the opportunity.' Dr. David Korten, President, The People-Centered Development Forum
'A great resource for classroom use...depicts in detail the effects of globalization, neoliberal economics, and other broad trends on everyday people's experience.' Angelina Godoy, Acting Chair of Latin American Studies, The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
'For anyone who has ever felt despair or pessimism in the face of the global economy, ARGENTINA - HOPE IN HARD TIMES is a powerful and inspiring antidote. A cogent critique of neoliberalism and a compelling alternative. Perfect for classroom use in economics, sociology and political science. ' Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology, Boston College
'This film is a powerful reminder of the fragility of our global economy and the possibilities for rekindling the human spirit.' George Cheney, Professor and Coordinator, Doctoral Education in Communication and Information, Associate Investigator, Ohio Employee Ownership Center, Kent State University
'The documentary's timeliness is matched both by the powerful scenes it shows and by its clear political message: Even in difficult times there is hope of a better world.' Arturo Santa-Cruz, Political Science Professor, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
'[Argentina] contains precise and complete information... viewpoints are well established from the beginning and reinforced during the film. The picture and sound qualities are very good, and superb background music by well known musicians adds to the emotional impact... It would be most suitable for academic programs in Latin American studies, globalization, ethics, economics, international relations, and sociology.' Cindy Badilla-Melendez, Educational Media Reviews Online
'Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young's film is an important record of this inspiring episode in the global struggle against corporate domination.' Utne Reader
'An exciting look at this social movement in its heyday. [Argentina] takes an exhaustive, panoramic shot of Argentine activism in 2002, capturing the grassroots power people felt as they transformed the broken pieces of their country into new opportunities. This is the best documentary yet on what was a pivotal moment in Argentina's history and should be required viewing for anyone who is interested in working for a better world.' Benjamin Dangl, Toward Freedom, on ZNet
'Argentina: Hope in Hard Times...reveals how ordinary people in dire circumstances can overcome incredible challenges by working together for common goals... Whereas other documentaries such as Naomi Klein's The Take focus on democratically-controlled businesses in Argentina, Hope In Hard Times embraces a much broader perspective on the Argentine free market tragedy. The documentary not only examines how Argentines have adapted their lifestyles to a crumbling economic system, but asks larger questions about human nature and the possibilities people have of building a different kind of economy and a new society... Viewers might expect the documentary to deal with the politicians, IMF officials and other elites who were largely responsible for the crisis. It refuses to do so, and it is the film's interaction with ordinary Argentines that is most stimulating... Hope in Hard Times should be required viewing for economics professors and government leaders who still have faith in the neo-liberal policies of the IMF and the World Bank... it paints a very hopeful picture and reveals the huge potential for billions of people throughout the Global South to overcome even the most spectacular failures of free market capitalism.' Sean Cain, The Dominion
'[Argentina] conveys an...important image of a grassroots spirit of mutual cooperation that focuses on building the local economy rather than expanding international debt and trade. This is an alternative economic model that can heal a society suffering from the harms of neoliberalism... Clearly those interested in Latin America and Argentina will find the film to be of interest. It is also valuable to those interested in globalization... But most of all, Argentina: Hope in Hard Times is a testament to the power of hope and joy in the face of seemingly overwhelming economic adversity.' Counterpoise
Citation
Main credits
Young, Melissa (film producer)
Dworkin, Mark (photographer)
Dworkin, Mark (editor of moving image work)
Distributor subjects
Activism; Anthropology; Argentina; Capitalism; Community; Democracy; Economics; Ethics; Geography; Global Issues; Globalization; Humanities; International Studies; Latin American Studies; Sociology; Sustainable Development; Urban StudiesKeywords
Argentina, economic collapse, Buenos Aires, IMF, World Bank, structural adjusment programs; "Argentina: Hope in Hard Times"; Bullfrog Films,doc; history; politics; sociss
WEBVTT
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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Imagine if you lost your job,
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the government closed the banks, and you couldn\'t get
out your savings and no one did anything to help,
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what would you do?
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In Argentina, they storm supermarkets for food.
The police gunned down 30 people in just one day.
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But what\'s really remarkable
is what happened next.
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[music]
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[music]
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On a gloomy winter afternoon in Buenos Aires, this
middle class neighborhood is holding a barbeque.
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It\'s not a holiday or someone\'s birthday.
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They\'re raising money to provide
tetanus shots for cartoneros,
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people without jobs who sort through trash
all over the city in search of recyclables.
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[music]
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[music]
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This special connection between middle class
people and those who are down and out is unusual,
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but then these are unusual
times in Argentina.
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At the end of 2001, the
Argentine economy collapsed,
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and one of the most prosperous countries
in South America was plunged into poverty.
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They went through four
presidents in less than a month.
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Millions of people took to the streets.
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[music]
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[music]
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People from all walks of life called for a new
government, an end to payments on the foreign debt,
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and redirection of the country\'s resources
to meet the needs of the Argentine people.
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The crisis brought hardship and
hunger, but it also inspired
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a wave of democratic renewal that is spilling
into every corner of Argentine life.
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[music]
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A few decades ago, Argentina had
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the 5th largest economy in the world with rich
agricultural lands, sophisticated industries,
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and an educated population. The country
supported a large middleclass.
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Buenos Aires was known as
the Paris of South America.
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[music]
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In the 90s, Argentina became the darling of the
Wall Street. They cut government services,
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privatized state industries,
welcomed global corporations,
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and borrowed billions of dollars from foreign
banks. The one that was nothing left to sell off,
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Argentina defaulted on its foreign
debt and the economy crashed.
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[music]
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Trying to stand the flow of dollars out of the
country, the government froze bank accounts,
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people pounded on the shuttered
banks demanding their money.
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[music]
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Prices have gone up 300%,
and you have no job,
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and… uh… you see people
suffering around all the times,
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and you\'re seeing things you weren\'t used to see, like uh… really,
really malnourished people in the provinces. We have never had that.
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[music]
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[sil.]
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At 11 o\'clock on a Tuesday night,
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hundreds of cartoneros are gathering at commuter rail stops
around Buenos Aires to wait for the special white train
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that will carry them home.
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As the numbers of cartoneros began to grow,
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people brought them food and drink
while they waited for the train.
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[non-English narration]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[music]
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No one welcomed the economic
crisis in Argentina,
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but when it came, people stepped out of
their homes and reached out to one another.
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They began picking up the scattered
pieces of the failed economy
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and recycling them into new
possibilities for the future.
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[music]
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I always thought life in Argentina
was good if you study it,
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and few had a career, and it\'s
not working like that for me.
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I\'m 31, I have lost my job,
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uh… I\'ve been looking everywhere,
they tell me I\'m very well qualified,
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and you just offer your services, and
they say, \"Okay, maybe we\'ll pay,
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maybe they never pay you.
Or three months, no salary,
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and then we\'ll see what will happen.\" It\'s
really stressing. For decades, Argentina had
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a high standard of living supported
by education, social services,
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and government programs to maintain jobs.
But under pressure from the World Bank,
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the International Monetary Fund
and the World Trade Organization,
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Argentina adopted new economic policies.
00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:00.000
[non-English narration]
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Argentina privatized public services,
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laid off government employees,
and cut regulation of business.
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This was supposed to free up the
private sector for an economic boom.
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The last five years,
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I\'ve seen throughout Latin America
a decline in per capita income
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and a increase in inequality. The reforms
have not brought what was promised.
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Largely misguided economics…
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In August of 2002, Joseph Stiglitz,
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former chief economist of the
World Bank, visited Argentina.
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He commented on the economic crisis and the lessons
it offers for the international community.
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If you have a road and at the
same place in the curve,
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everyday there\'s an accident,
you begin to think
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maybe something is wrong with the way the road is
designed, and maybe we ought to redesign the road.
00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:44.999
If you have a car that
keeps crashing, you think,
00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:49.999
\"Maybe something is wrong with the design,
maybe it can\'t be driven by human beings.\"
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Well, we should recognize today
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with almost every major emerging market
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having for crisis. It should be clear that
00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:09.999
something is wrong with the road.
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[music]
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Two months after the crisis hit,
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the emotions are running high.
On a summer evening,
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people from all sectors of Argentine society,
including many who have never protested before,
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gathered at the Plaza de
Mayo to express their dismay
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and talk about what needs to be done.
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[music]
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[music]
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With 40% unemployment,
bank accounts frozen,
00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:30.000
and the government paralyzed, people used
what they had to get what they needed.
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[music]
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[non-English narration]
00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.999
[music]
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People are organising themselves
uh… trying to act, to help others,
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uh… to think about our
own problems of society
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and possible ways to solve them,
create this concept of solidarity.
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It\'s like, it\'s fashionable to help others.
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[sil.]
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[music]
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Hundreds of thousands
were thrown out of work,
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:25.000
but many refuse to give up their jobs. They
took over their factories and kept on working.
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[music]
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The energy for change was electric. All over
the country, people gathered on street corners
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to share their ideas and
figure out what to do.
00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:00.000
[sil.]
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[non-English narration]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
[sil.]
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This outpouring of citizen action
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brings bittersweet memories. The last
time so many Argentines demanded change,
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their movement was brutally crushed.
00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.999
In 1976, the Argentine military
took over the country.
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.999
They ruled for seven years
killing 30,000 people,
00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.999
jailing and torturing many more.
During those years,
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.999
uh… there was lot of terror, there
were actually killing people,
00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.999
and… and we suffered it as kids. In
my house, there was a lot of anguish.
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.999
My parents were intellectuals
and university teachers,
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and they were chased. And their old
friends who are being kidnapped
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and we didn\'t know where they
were, and we were very scared.
00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.999
After thousands of political activists
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
had been killed or disappeared, a
courageous group of mothers began
00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:00.000
a weekly march in Buenos Aires demanding
to know the fate of their children.
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:10.000
[non-English narration]
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.999
[music]
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.999
The dictatorship is long gone,
but memories of those times,
00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.999
still cast a shadow. The people that
were fighting the military here
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belong to organizations that
were completely destroyed.
00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.999
And when they were destroyed, they were like, they
were lose everywhere, and they had no protection.
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:14.999
And now we have that kind of feeling again
where we\'re not fighting a dictatorship,
00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.999
but we\'re completely loose from
structures that can\'t protect us.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.999
People are leaving the country again to
make their lives better, but then again,
00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.999
for their own lives, like they
were with the dictatorship.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
And you\'ll hear those powerful phrases
again \"life here is impossible,\"
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
uh… \"if I stay here, I\'m dead.\" It doesn\'t
mean that they\'re literally dead,
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
but it\'s like symbolically it works,
and that in your world, you know.
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[music]
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[music]
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:30.000
[sil.]
00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.999
[music]
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:54.999
Much of Argentina is a vast fertile plain
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with a temperate climate, ideal for agriculture. And
for hundreds of years, the area around Buenos Aires
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supplied the city with its food. But now many
farmers are being forced off of the land.
00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:25.000
[non-English narration]
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:35.000
[music]
00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:50.000
[sil.]
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:20.000
[music]
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.999
[music]
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.999
In the economic policies promoted by the
World Bank and International Monetary Fund,
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each country is supposed to specialize in
whatever it can produce at a cheap price,
00:36:55.000 --> 00:37:00.000
and by everything else it
meets on the world market.
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It was hard for farmers
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.999
to escape the impact, as Argentina adopted
more globalized agricultural policies.
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Even those still producing
traditional foods
00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:10.000
were told to prepare for
big, new markets abroad.
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On typical Friday morning,
this highway would be clogged
00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.999
with traffic heading into Buenos
Aires, but today, it\'s been shutdown
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.999
by thousands of unemployed
workers called piqueteros.
00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:40.000
[music]
00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:34.999
[sil.]
00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.999
As they gather around the pots of piquetero
stew, people have a lot on their minds.
00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:44.999
Not long ago, two piqueteros were killed by
the police in a roadblock, like this one.
00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:49.999
Yet the protests continued pressuring
the government to stand up
00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:55.000
to the International Monetary Fund.
00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:53.000
[music]
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.999
One cannot just have at the table, the lenders,
particularly the international lenders.
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There are a large number of other
climates on the government on society.
00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:09.999
There are the pensioners, the social
security, the government workers,
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.999
the students who have claims as well
00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:19.999
as part of they call the social compact
that allows the society to function.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:25.000
[music]
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:15.000
[sil.]
00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:29.999
When Argentine industries
where privatized in the 90s,
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:34.999
a lot of people lost their
jobs all over the country.
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:39.999
By that time, the banks were closed. Many people
didn\'t have any savings left. Some had nothing to eat
00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:45.000
and no place to live.
00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:20.000
[sil.]
00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:05.000
[sil.]
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:35.000
[non-English narration]
00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:05.000
[non-English narration]
00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:40.000
[sil.]
00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:53.000
[music]
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:15.000
[sil.]
00:49:55.000 --> 00:50:00.000
[non-English narration]
00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:58.000
[music]
00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:55.000
[sil.]
00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:40.000
[music]
00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:10.000
[music]
00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:20.000
[sil.]
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:58.000
[sil.]
00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.999
The critical issue for Argentina
today is what can be done to restore
00:54:05.000 --> 00:54:09.999
the growth in economy. (inaudible)
Exclusive human resources are still here.
00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:14.999
Most of those have not left.
Financial capital is very different
00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:19.999
from the physical resources. What
produces goods are physical resources.
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:24.999
Financial capital is only enabling,
00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:30.000
but there are other ways of enabling those physical
resources to interact and to produce goods.
00:54:35.000 --> 00:54:39.999
One company was able to boost
production and add jobs
00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:44.999
while most of the economy
turned down work. In 1998,
00:54:45.000 --> 00:54:49.999
I.M.P.A was failing cooperative about to go
bankrupt. That\'s when production workers
00:54:50.000 --> 00:54:55.000
finally managed to elect new leadership.
00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:19.999
With ideas from production workers,
the company became more efficient.
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:25.000
They started by making
better use of raw materials.
00:55:50.000 --> 00:55:58.000
[music]
00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:34.999
I.M.P.A is more than just a factory.
00:56:35.000 --> 00:56:39.999
It also has become a popular
venue for music and theatre.
00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:45.000
Part of the building was converted to studio
space for use by the broader community.
00:57:10.000 --> 00:57:15.000
[music]
00:58:50.000 --> 00:58:58.000
[music]
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:28.000
[music]
00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:55.000
[sil.]
01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:38.000
[music]
01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:09.999
When protection for Argentine
industry was removed,
01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:14.999
local manufacturers had to compete
with a flood of cheap imports.
01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:19.999
Many clothe store went bankrupt. Workers
at one factory became famous over night
01:01:20.000 --> 01:01:25.000
when they wouldn\'t let the
owner shut down their plant.
01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:59.999
When Brukman workers took over the factory,
they elected new managers, kept on producing,
01:02:00.000 --> 01:02:05.000
and began to make a go of it.
01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:38.000
[music]
01:03:35.000 --> 01:03:40.000
[non-English narration]
01:03:55.000 --> 01:04:00.000
[sil.]
01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:50.000
[sil.]
01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:19.999
Workers at Brukman proved they
could run the factory themselves.
01:05:20.000 --> 01:05:25.000
They asked the government to assume ownership
of the company but leave the workers in charge.
01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:59.999
Brukman became a test case as other
workers began to follow their example,
01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:05.000
pressure mounted for the
government to crack down.
01:06:40.000 --> 01:06:45.000
[sil.]
01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:09.999
Brukman is not alone. Over 200 factories, which
are closed, were taken over by their workers
01:07:10.000 --> 01:07:15.000
and many continue to produce.
01:08:05.000 --> 01:08:13.000
[music]
01:08:35.000 --> 01:08:39.999
Something extraordinary
happened in Argentina
01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:44.999
after the economic collapse.
With times so difficult,
01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:49.999
people could\'ve turned on each other and fear in
desperation, but instead they turned to each other
01:08:50.000 --> 01:08:54.999
in mutual support.
01:08:55.000 --> 01:08:59.999
[music]
01:09:00.000 --> 01:09:04.999
What started as nearly universal contempt for
politicians, soon blossomed into something more
01:09:05.000 --> 01:09:09.999
as ordinary people took it up on themselves
01:09:10.000 --> 01:09:14.999
to make their country look
more like their dreams.
01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:23.000
[music]
01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:08.000
[music]
01:10:45.000 --> 01:10:49.999
[music]
01:10:50.000 --> 01:10:54.999
I would like that there
will be a government
01:10:55.000 --> 01:10:59.999
that will have some dignity
in front of this big powers,
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:04.999
and lead us to uh… the possibility that
the economy will grow in some way,
01:11:05.000 --> 01:11:09.999
that they will be a demand for employment,
there will be our own production,
01:11:10.000 --> 01:11:15.000
and that everyone will
be a little bit better.
01:11:40.000 --> 01:11:45.000
[non-English narration]
01:12:00.000 --> 01:12:05.000
[music]
01:12:30.000 --> 01:12:35.000
[music]
01:12:40.000 --> 01:12:45.000
[music]
01:14:05.000 --> 01:14:13.000
[sil.]
