Bread and Roses
The Balance of Power Is About to Change
Maya is a quick-witted young woman who comes over the Mexican border without papers and makes her way to the LA home of her older sister Rosa. Rosa gets Maya a job as a janitor: a non-union janitorial service has the contract, the foul-mouthed supervisor can fire workers on a whim, and the service-workers' union has assigned organizer Sam Shapiro to bring its "justice for janitors" campaign to the building. Sam finds Maya a willing listener, she's also attracted to him. Rosa resists, she has an ailing husband to consider. The workers try for public support; management intimidates workers to divide and conquer. Rosa and Maya as well as workers and management may be set to collide.
- Year: 2000
- Country: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Studio: Alta Films S.A., Parallax Pictures, Film4 Productions
- Keyword: janitor, security guard, labor organizer, labor union, social realism
- Director: Ken Loach
- Cast: Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Jack McGee, Monica Rivas, Frankie Davila, Lillian Hurst
