THE WASHING SOCIETY

Lynne Sachs & Lizzie Olesker • U.S. • 2018 • 44 min.

Lynne Sachs & Lizzie Olesker
U.S. • 2018 • 44 min.

SYNOPSIS

A dream-like, yet hyper-real portrayal of a day in the life of  laundry workers, both past and present, this hybrid documentary is a voyage into New York City laundromats and the experiences of the people who work there. Inspired by the 1881 protests of Black women in The Washing Society of Atlanta, the film explores the intersection of history, underpaid work, immigration, and the sheer math of doing laundry. 

AWARDS

Juror’s Stellar Award
Black Maria Film Festival. U.S. (2018)
Avant-Garde “Departures” Award
Indie Memphis Film Festival. U.S. (2018)

FESTIVALS & ALTERNATIVE SCREENINGS

Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival. Spain (2018)
BAMcinemaFest, Brooklyn Academy of Music. U.S.  (2018)
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. U.S. (2018)
Athens Film and Video Festival. U.S. (2018)
EDOC Encuentros del Otro Cine. Ecuador (2018)
European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrück. Germany (2018)
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. U.S. (2018)
Anthology Film Archives, New York. U.S. (2018)
Vancouver International Film Festival. Canada (2018)
Maine International Film Festival. U.S. (2018)
Pacific Film Archive / Berkeley Art Museum. U.S. (2018)
National Civil Rights Museum. U.S. (2018)
Chicago Underground Film Festival. U.S. (2018)
Scribe Video Center. U.S. (2019)
Sheffield Doc/Fest. UK (2020)
Cinema Parallels Film Festival | Focus on Lynne Sachs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2021)

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