“The Washing Society” at Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive
Oct. 24, 2018
Through creative juxtapositions of narrative and documentary elements, filmmaker Lynne Sachs and playwright Lizzie Olesker chronicle the disappearing public space of the neighborhood laundromat and the continual, intimate labor that happens there. With a title inspired by a labor organization of African American laundresses formed in 1881, The Washing Society investigates the intersection of history, underpaid work, immigration, and the sheer math of doing laundry. They present a stark yet poetic vision of those whose working lives often go unrecognized. Dirt, skin, lint, stains, money, and time are thematically interwoven into the very fabric of The Washing Society through interviews and observational moments.
Preceded By
Portraits of three filmmakers, Carolee Schneeman, Barbara Hammer, and Gunvor Nelson.
Old Digs
Gunvor Nelson, Sweden, 1992
An inner journey through the sights and sounds of Kristinehamn as reflected in its central river.—Steve Anker