A short and sweet look back at the achievements conquered by the metallurgical union while fighting and protesting over noble causes
related with the workers movements, which spread out through Brazil from the late 1970's with the dire situation faced by auto-workers, and
then turning to other kind of industries, unions and even the foundation of a political party.
It's a condensed work that remembers the first
strike to cause an impact on society and the nation, when ABC auto-workers demanded less restrictions from bosses, better working conditions
and better payments as they were being exploited time and again, and the only way they could send a message to the people in charge was to
peacefully stop the engines and cross their arms. This all came at a time when any form of strike was illegal, during the years of military
regime - the last strikes took place in 1968 and with a new instituional act they were even discussed by any kind of union, also considered
illegal.
Veteran actor Sérgio Mamberti is our host in this fascinating travel back in time that chronicles the first strikes in the late 1970's,
the positive and negative moments of it all, with police reprehension and also the demands that were met, and how those first protests
started to happen more often with other syndicates, and it also highlights that the metallurgic union was involved with aiding other groups
and other social causes as well, on favor of a better and fair society.
Obvious that 20 minutes are not enough to cover 20 years of progress, but for an indie project this was very well done, and it's a
quite comprehensive film as it gives the real context of why those strikes happened and what the workers were struggling for. And I need to
move plus 20 years further to this film as history painfully changed its course and reduced a great deal the importance of unions like this,
when around 2018 there was a massive work reform done by politicians which lessened the relation between bosses and workers, and that impacted
unions in Brazil - strikes are guaranteed by law but whenever they happen they don't have the significant impact as those initial from the 1970's,
and depending on the job, union membership is optional and doesn't come with much favorable things.
It's not like their legacy and importance was washed away from society (even though it feels like it); films like this prove that things
were worse and got way better - for all sides. 8/10.
