‘Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.’
We can’t help but agree with Walt Disney. Films, though perceived as entertainment, give us insights that may otherwise be hard to come by. And some films navigate that fine line between entertainment and hard facts, with élan. If you’ve been wondering what the fuss about fashion is all about, we picked out our five top short films and documentaries for you to watch and learn more about the damage the fashion industry’s been doing to the planet and people.
The True Cost
Produced by Andrew Morgan | Year of production: 2015 | Available on YouTube
This eye-opening documentary has been a watershed in the journey of many a fashion sustainability advocate. Mine, too! In fact, it was a driving force in my decision to shift careers, from mainstream fashion to working in sustainable fashion.
If you’re given to splurging on cheap T-shirts, this incisive commentary on the state of the fashion industry, will reveal to you the true cost of the clothes we wear. From the people making our clothes to fashion’s effect on the planet. It’s a hard watch, but a must watch.
Slay
Directed by Rebecca Cappelli | Year of production: 2022 | Available on Waterbear
The hour-and-a-half long documentary exposes the dark underbelly of the fur, leather and wool industry. For far too long, the fashion industry has been greenwashing their way through, while hurting animals and the planet in unimaginable ways. Gut-wrenching, it made me squirm and look away on more than one occasion. But don’t skip it—we need to face the truth to be able to make responsible choices. The film brings together a host of celebrities, experts and campaigners from across the world to comment on, and offer practical solutions around the issue of animal abuse in fashion.
Unravel
Directed by Meghna Gupta | Year of production: 2012 | Available on Vimeo
This short film sheds light on fashion’s waste problem, both production and post-consumer. It brings forth the understanding that waste doesn’t just disappear once you discard it—there is no away. Waste inevitably ends up affecting both people and planet. Unravel explores the journey of discarded clothes from the Global North to India, before ending up in Panipat, known as the ‘cast-off capital’. In Panipat, these are recycled into yarn by local women, who each have their own stories to tell.
River Blue
Directed by Roger Williams & David Mcllvride | Year: 2017 | Available on Vimeo
This award-winning slow fashion documentary follows international river conservationist Mark Angelo, and is narrated by clean water supporter Jason Priestley. It details the impact of the dye industry on our water bodies, and how the people living and working in close proximity to manufacturing plants that use synthetic dyes or to the contaminated water are affected.
Udita (Rise Up)
Directed by Hannan Majid & Richard York | Year: 2015 | Available on YouTube
An observational documentary, this film covers five years in the lives of garment workers in Bangladesh, through the Tazreen and infamous Rana Plaza disasters. It details their fight for unionization and for basic garment worker rights, while also elaborating upon their daily struggles. It focusses on the resilient Bangladeshi women, who are at the forefront of these struggles and how all this led to the creation of Fashion Revolution, as we know it today.
