Could cinema be a technological device put to the service of the working class and its liberation? Opening with shots of the editing room, this appears to be the argument made by the film Class of Struggle. Filmed by the workers of the Groupe Medvedkine de Besançon, with guidance from Chris Marker, this engaging documentary shows each step involved in creating a union local in a watchmaking factory. The factory workers are mainly women, hired for their meticulous work, but often underpaid and rarely recognized for their essential contributions to the smooth functioning of operations. Following the journey of Suzanne, a mother and working-class activist with a tenacious spirit who refused to bend in the face of oppression and intimidation from management, not even when she was demoted, the film passes the bullhorn to the workers so they can share the challenges they face.

Frédéric Savard
Archivist and programmer