About "COMPLICIT"
Parents are buying cell phones for their children “for their safety.” 5G advertisements entice us to trade in our old cell phone models and upgrade to a new “upgraded” cell phone. But how safe are cell phones really?
Yi Yeting is a Chinese workers’ rights activist. Over three years, he exposed working conditions in the Chinese factories that produce computers and cell phones for Apple and other of the world’s largest device makers. During his investigation, he learns that one worker is poisoned every five hours from exposure to toxic materials like benzene and n-hexane.
Yi’s brave fight is documented by Heather White in the film "COMPLICIT." In this lush and moving documentary, White and co-directer Lynn Zhang trace the 8,000-mile journey by millions of young people from China’s farmlands to its electronics factory floors. The search for a better life is elusive to many of these workers, who must cope with work-related illnesses in a country without medical benefits or workers compensation.
"COMPLICIT" details dozens of stories of young workers who became ill at their jobs, the Chinese government’s shuttering of worker advocacy offices, and the growing movement outside China to protect exposed workers. It documents the government’s efforts to isolate protagonist Yi as he reveals the truth behind the dangers that lie in the production of the world’s computers and cell phones.
First released in 2017, "COMPLICIT" has been screened at 40 film festivals and has won nine international festival awards. Shortly after the documentary’s release, Apple agreed to ban the use of benzene and n-hexane in its cellular phone production, but do these factories continue to ignore Chinese regulations, which are rarely enforced?
Co-Director and Producer Heather White will join Environmental Health Trust’s
Dr. Devra Davis for a screening of "COMPLICIT" on Wednesday May 5, 2021, at 7:00 p.m MT. After the screening, you can ask your questions directly to White and Davis, who will be discussing the film’s production and story.
WHAT: Jackson Hole Environmental Health Trust Film Series
Film Screening of 'COMPLICIT" with Director Heather White
DATE: Wednesday, May 5, 2021
TIME: 9:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. MT, 6:00 p.m. PT
LOCATION: "COMPLICIT" Livestream
This event is free to the public. Your donations help support EHT’s work to produce scientific research and educational resources for environmental health issues in our communities.
