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Fruits of Labor

Directed by Emily Cohen Ibañez

United States | 76 minutes | 2021

A Mexican American teenage farmworker dreams of graduating high school, but ICE raids in her community threaten to separate her family, and she is forced to become her family's breadwinner. Fruits of Labor is a lyrical, coming-of-age documentary feature about adolescence, nature, and ancestors.

Ashley Solis is a high school senior who must divide her time between school and supporting her family as a second-generation Mexican Amercan. Located in a California working class town, the harshness of agricultural labor in the strawberry fields shares a stark contrast with the beautiful nature of the region. Director Emily Cohen Ibañez documents Ashley as she navigates the hardships and joys of contemporary United States guided by the spirit world that lives in nature.
Director Photo
Emily Cohen Ibañez (producer/director/co-cinematographer, co-writer) is a Latinx filmmaker with Colombian and Syrian Jewish heritage. She earned her doctorate in Anthropology with a certificate in Culture and Media at New York University. Her film work pairs lyricism with social activism, advocating for labor, environmental, and health justice. Her directorial feature documentary debut, Fruit of Labor premiered at SXSW 2021 and will have its international premiere at Hot Docs 2021. Emily was a Fulbright Scholar in 2007-2008 based in Colombia, South America; she screened her film Bodies at War in 22 rural Colombian municipalities affected by landmines in partnership with the Colombian Campaign Against Landmines. Emily regularly makes commissioned short films for venues like The Guardian, The Intercept, and Independent Lens. She also contributes cinematography to independent films including Bronx Obama (2014) directed by Ryan Murdock which won a “Best in Fest” award at AFI Docs. She is recipient of multiple fellowships and grants including JustFilms Ford Foundation, Firelight Doc Lab, 4th World Indigenous Media Lab, BAVC National Media Maker, and Field of Vision amongst others.
Type of Film Feature
Country of Origin United States
Year Film Was Completed 2021
Runtime 76 minutes
Film Website Visit
Social media Handles Twitter: @FruitsLaborFilm / FB: @FruitsOfLaborFilm / IG: @fruitsoflaborfilm
Director Emily Cohen Ibañez
Written by Emily Cohen Ibañez and Ashley Solis Pavon
Producers Emily Cohen Ibañez
Cinematography Gabriella Garcia-Pardo and Emily Cohen Ibañez
Edited by Kristina Motwani and Andrea Chignoli
Music by Yamil Rezc (including song by Denise Gutierrez)
Sound Design Dan Olmsted
Art Direction reversafilms@gmail.com

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