Find more about how wrong is fast fashion

This week we want to talk about 5 must-see fast fashion documentaries to better understand this conundrum. Fast fashion is a very complex situation that has implications in various aspects of our lives.

These documentaries are great for those of you who have been reading our articles for a while and for the ones who just started on this green journey. Why? Because they contain a lot of dense information and offer solutions and hope. We recommend seeing them more than once, and splitting them into 2 or 3 days. This way you won’t feel so overwhelmed, and you will retain all the knowledge. Slow and steady, like the sustainable utopia we are fighting for.

 

Who’s to blame?

Yes, we are aware that the majority of the population, even in the western world, can only afford fast fashion prices. So please, don’t feel guilty for buying fast fashion if that is all you can afford. The blame belongs to the company owners and governments who allowed things to get this dramatic. But even so, we can all buy more consciously and only what we need, and of course, 2nd hand is also a fabulous life saver. You can read all about our favorite 2nd hand stores here. The beauty of all this is that regardless of our social class, we are all consumers and that gives immense power. We can demand ethical and sustainable products if we refuse to buy goods that don’t align with our values. Never forget that these giants are nothing without us.

Here are the 5 Must-see Fast fashion documentaries about the dark side of fast fashion and about the people who fight every day to escape it.

 

True Cost

You probably already heard about our first recommendation. True Cost is the best documentary to watch if you want to understand just how vast and complex the problems with fast fashion are. It starts by showing us the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh, and takes us through the supply chain of Fashion. It exposes the human rights that are being violated on a daily basis as well as the resulting ecological disasters. If you feel like you are addicted to fast fashion and you can’t help yourself, watching True Cost is a great way to kick that nasty habit.

 

River Blue

This documentary focuses on one of the most serious consequences of fast fashion: water pollution. It has gotten so bad, that some rivers in Asia are completely dead. This destroys agriculture land that is the only way of substance for many of the people who inhabit these areas. It goes without saying that, if we do nothing, this problem will be soon knocking on our doorstep.

Water is our most valuable resource. Water is life, and there should never be a price on it.

 

 

Made in Bangladesh

We wrote about this recent work of art here. Made in Bangladesh tells the story of a woman who works in a sweatshop, in India. She instigates other workers to fight for their rights and better working conditions. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as you would expect. The law exists but no one is putting it into practice. It’s based on a true story which makes it even more inspiring!

 

Arise

This is a documentary  about the protests for better working conditions following the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. This tragedy was the tipping point for many workers, that lost several family members because of it. Since the majority of clothing factory workers are women, they are very present in these protests. It’s interesting that the mainstream media shows so little about these warriors and their struggles. Arise will give you strength through the stories of these fellow human that refuse to give up and stay silent.

 

 

Unravel

Last but not least, we give you Unravel. A short documentary that shows you where our clothes end their journey, by letting you into one recycling facility in India. It’s really interesting to see how the people working there see the west, and have their own theories about why we toss so many items of clothes away.

We hope you make the best of this journey. It isn’t pretty but it can become beautiful if we all join forces and fight for a better world.

Fashion can be both fabulous and kind, and we will not stop until we get there.

Tell us in the comments what you thought about our suggestions and tells us if you have some of your own.

Have a beautiful day,

NAE