China Blue Press Quotes

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Press Quotes in English

• “A heartbreaking and meticulous documentary about life inside a blue-jeans factory in China… the film develops a natural dramatic structure that’s profoundly affecting. Mr. Peled doesn’t just record the girls’ indignities, he listens to their dreams.”  — Jeanette Catsoulis, THE NEW YORK TIMES

• “The most heartbreaking, moving film in theaters right now is not “Babel,” “Letters From Iwo Jima” or “Little Children.” It is China Blue… This is an unforgettable film.”  — Allen Johnson, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

• “This is one of the best of many recent documentaries about globalization… with probing access and a level or detail similar films have failed to obtain.”  — NEW YORK MAGAZINE

• “This stunning, heart-rendering documentary… How director Micha Peled got access to this factory is a mystery, but he has done a great service.”  — THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (SUNDAY)

• “Moral outrage is the only civilized response to what “China Blue” reveals… A heartbreaking yet boldly essential documentary… presents a fairly balanced and richly human story while exposing the blatant labor-law violations of multinational corporations.”  — THE SEATTLE TIMES

• “Eye-opener… a compelling documentary does not present a pretty picture but one that gives the phrase ”sweat shop” a whole different perspective.”  — MIAMI HERALD

• “The tacit fury of China Blue”  — Richard Corliss, TIME MAGAZINE

• “I’d like to be objective and do the cool film-critic shtick about China Blue, but the film so enraged me that I couldn’t restrain frequent outbursts of “Oh my God! Some films… are so socially important that they cry out to be seen.”  — THE MARIN PACIFIC SUN

• “Intimate and rigorously detailed… remarkable level of access and the complex portrait of globalization as an intractable beast that relies on consumer complicity in viewing foreign laborers as subhuman.”  — TIME OUT NEW YORK

• “Factory girls stuck in a denim of thieves… Eye-opening documentary… Peled was harassed at every turn by Chinese officials, but he managed to get this shocking film made. That’s just one reason “China Blue” is worthy of praise.”  — THE NEW YORK POST

• “Surprisingly fair-minded….it gives its heart and soul to the girls.”  — THE NATION

• “There’s a terrible irony to the designer jeans uniformly worn by teenage laborers featured in China Blue, Micha X. Peled’s meticulously livid expose of a sweatshop in Southern China.”  — VILLAGE VOICE/ SF WEEKLY

• “What stands out is the filmmaker’s remarkable level of access and the complex portrait of globalization as an intractable beast that relies on consumer complicity in viewing foreign laborers as subhuman. Buy American.”  — TIME OUT NEW YORK

• “Bay Area documentarian Micha X. Peled got unprecendented access to a blue jeans factory… It’s a verite portrait of adolescents who are instantly recognizable, though their sweatshop environs strike us as nearly unendurable.”  — THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

• “Pic’s degree of access and intimacy is surprising, even more so when closing intertitles reveal Chinese authorities did try to shut down the filmmakers several times…. engaging in character and narrative terms… much of “China Blue” is charming, because its subjects are… Micha Peled’s docu “China Blue” makes a stronger case against worker exploitation than any news item could…”  — DAILY VARIETY

• “The Best Documentary of Toronto 2005? Micha Peled’s China Blue, a heartbreaking, truly unforgettable cinéma-vérité.“  — THE BOSTON PHOENIX

• “An intimate and eye-opening look into the personal lives of sweatshop workers… The film is a unflinching indictment of globalization.“  — THE MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL

• “Peled’s film is a must-see—if not by the average consumer, then by politicians and U.N. officials.”  — FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

• “A shocking experience.” — THE L MAGAZINE

• “Without (Chinese) government knowledge or approval, San Francisco filmmaker Micha X. Peled shot a stunningly candid portrait of the lively teenagers who make blue jeans…” — RELEASE PRINT

• “A riveting documentary …a heart-wrenching story of the exploitation of young optimism and energy by the … the desire for profit. See it before you head off to the mall for that clothing sale.”  — PACIFIC SUN

• “The making of China Blue provides enough drama to be a film of its own… Peled’s crew was able to smuggle equipment across the border, but Chinese police interfered with filming on numerous occasions. A cameraman and associate producer were arrested and tapes were confiscated.”  — THE ASHLAND (VA) HERALD PROGRESS

Foreign Press

• “China Blue presents a powerful testimony of the working conditions in China as well as moving and sensitive portraits of the young workers to whom we owe our “made in China” jeans.”  — LE MONDE (FRANCE)

• “Like some of Micha X. Peled’s previous films (Store Wars, Inside God’s Bunker), China Blue is primarily a deep-access film.”  — THE VANCOUVER SUN

• “Mr. Peled has achieved some amazing footage of life in the factory… If you were ever curious about the people who make your blue jeans, China Blue is the film for you.”  — THE ROYAL GAZETTE (BERMUDA)

• “At least one woman rushed home to rip up her blue jeans… The measure of a successful big screen documentary is not the facts that it shows us – but how much it make us want to engage with the facts.”  — ALLMEDIASCOTLAND.COM

• “Cleverly constructed and ultimately heart-wrenching… Multi-layered film explores the personalities, aspirations and imaginations of the main characters with sensitivity and tact… Director Micha X. Peled calls into question the whole system of global free trade and points at the responsibility retailers and ourselves – the consumer – all share. In the words of Jasmine: “Who are the fat, tall people who buy these jeans we make?”  — THE LUMIERE READER (NEW ZEALAND)

• “Must-see film for anyone interested in global issues… A compelling story…”  — Reader’s Review, THE TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL

• “One of the hottest titles at IDFA this year… Go, see and feel guilty about being a rich European. You know you want to.”  — IDFA (Amsterdam), Europe’s premier doc film festival

• “Shines a light on the inhumane working conditions… will stay with you.”  — THE TORONTO EYE

• “Peled and his crew battled constant police threats and harassment while filming and had footage confiscated.”  — RICHMOND.COM

• “Director Micha Peled, whose film Store Wars featured at the Festival in 2002, continues his information campaign against America’s massive Wal-Mart chain by taking a very close look at who is manufacturing their jeans.”  — REALTO CINEMAS (NEW ZEALAND)

• “Micha Peled’s doc “China Blue” makes a stronger case against worker exploitation than any news item could, simply by showing the everyday lives of some Mainland China factory girls.  Engaging in character and narrative terms, much of “China Blue” is charming, because its subjects are. Finding amusement in the few spare moments they can, sweet-natured Jasmine and her more citified zipper-installer friend Orchid (who’s found time for a boyfriend) are disarmingly natural on camera. Their welfare becomes of real concern to the viewer as the exhaustion and ill-health wrought by brutal work stints grow apparent.

“Pic’s degree of access and intimacy is surprising, even more so when closing intertitles reveal Chinese authorities did try to shut down the filmmakers several times.

“Lensing and tech contribs are just OK, but good enough under what were at least sometimes clandestine circumstances.”  — VARIETY

• “China Blue, le documentaire (produit par Little Bear) qu’il en a rapporté est à la fois un formidable témoignage sur les conditions de travail en Chine et une galerie de portraits sensibles et émouvants de quelques-unes des jeunes ouvrières à qui l’on doit nos jeans « made in China.”  — LE MONDE

Activism quotes

• “Film director Micha Peled hopes shopping will never be the same again for people who see his new film, China Blue.”  — DOMINION POST (NEW ZEALAND)

• “China Blue, a damning tale of sweatshop conditions in Chinese jeans gets much of its impact by personalizing the issue.”  — STUFF.CO.NZ

• “Director Micha X. Peled calls into question the whole system of global free trade and points at the responsibility retailers and ourselves – the consumer – all share. In the words of Jasmine: “Who are the fat, tall people who buy these jeans we make?”  — THE LUMIERE READER (NEW ZEALAND)