The True Cost

source: The True Cost

Great documentary about the real price we pay (people and the planet) for fashion and overbuying clothing. At times it seemed that it was repeating and dragging, but overall worth the time. I can no longer justify my clothing donations to charity.

I have seen many documentaries, but when it comes to human exploitation this is by far the most question arising docu i have ever seen. what is development? social justice? basic humanity? when companies in order to reduce their cost prices and increase profits employ destitute people who doesn't have any alternate career other than being a laborer for a meager salary in sweatshops, and supporting their act by claiming that they are providing livelihood to these wretched lives as if they were not living before these companies came. what do you call it if not social exploitation? The words spoken by the environmental activist are cent percent true. Fertilizers and seed business in an epidemic in INDIA that is not there before the 1950s. They affected the generations of Punjab region both medically and economically. Many might think this docu to be an anti-capitalistic propaganda. But developing capitalistic economies at the cost of what? companies might not feel empathy with argument, but a consumer should feel it before falling in the craze of "Brands". They have to remember those hands that suffered for producing the clothing that you're buying at "discounted" prices and festive sales. The least as an audience should you do is give this a higher rating so that the problem is addressed and more people become aware of what "REAL SLAVERY" would look like in the modern world.

This movie shows the direct impact people can have on people and the environment. It is terrifying that we are allowing such decay of the human body and environment at the expense of a t-shirt or pair of pants. The side effects of the factory works from living in the surrounding factory area's was eye-opening. I have heard about it and seen pictures, but knowing that this film was released just two years ago, very recently, is astounding. I think the film does a very good job of exploring the whole chain from top to bottom, from the VP of sustainability at H&M and Patagonia to the factory workers in India. I am amazed at some of the people trying to make a difference, but the need for support on a larger scale is what is needed and it will take time, but this documentary is very inspiring and progressive. A step in the right direction for healthier people and a healthier planet.

The True Cost documents filmmaker Andrew Morgan's efforts to understand the world of fast fashion (with it's "fifty two seasons a year" marked by $5 shirts and $20 pairs of jeans), a world that's only existed for a few decades and has had enormous impacts on people's lives in both high- and low-income economies. It's a well-traveled and wide-ranging film, sometimes so much so that you get a bit lost for it's jumping from one place to another. But the economic systems that connect garment workers in countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia to North American, European, and Asian consumers are complicated, often intentionally obscure, and they affect people and ecosystems all over the globe, so the film's wide angle view makes sense. To covers so much means that the film sometimes jumps quickly from topic to topic, without digging very deeply into any one issue for long (towards the end of the film, for example, its critique of consumerist / materialist capitalism follows logically from all we've seen, but the discussion can't do justice to the complexity of the questions posed). But for a documentary meant to introduce the topic, that's a reasonable directorial choice to make. Beautifully filmed, with passionate, informed, and compassionate interviewees, The True Cost is worth watching.

This documentary clear shows the exploitative methods used by Big companies and owners and how the slavery has been outsourced to 3rd world countries. This documentary also invokes the responsibility of an average citizen towards our environment. Being a citizen of a 3rd world country like India, i completely understand the situation of the workers in india and the neighboring countries and how our people are being exploited in every industry. One thing we need to understand is our role in the society. Everyone's role is being reduced to a role of "consumer". Think about it. Don't worry about the Metascore and Critics reviews. They don't understand how important this film is.

Appreciate people are making such documentary which reveals bitter truth of the fashion industry. Bigger brands are increasing profits every year over the blood of cheap labours. Industry needs to revise the process to increase wage, provide medical facility and improved working conditions. Happy to know that some people across the world have realized and actively working to get things better.

I've seen people complaining about being a propaganda, anti capitalism documentary. And because of that you rate the documentary low? Shouldnt' you be worried about the main message of the documentary? Rate it low and people won't see this. So we won't change and everything stays the same. You could at least put your ideologies aside and help spread the worth about this problem.

True Cost is a honest, interesting and meaningful documentary about industry of clothing today and how simple everyday acts of greed and consumption can have devastating results in the lives of millions around the globe. Although it is not so much provoking, it is filmed by a certain distance but it makes direct comments for all the above subjects. In this film everything seems to be connected, from the fashion icons and clothing industry to the GMO cotton seeds made by one of the biggest profitable companies today and the terrible situations that labor workers face when they ask a raise of salary for their minimum and basic needs. The end credits was a clever ad which let us watch the director himself shooting with his camera in some of the places he visited for filming this documentary. Also, when a certain song with title "I want it all" starts to play in the scene where we watch people running like maniacs to buy whatever they catch on a Black Friday Day in U.S.A, it is completely in tune with the scene and shocking, it hits us in our gut how can people be so blind and to seek happiness or social success in materialism and consumption of things. Truth to be told, in the century we live in, we are accustomed to be accepted from the society for our looks or our social and economical level. There is a reference in Martin Luther King J. in the film, saying that "What America needs is a revolution of values". But this is more than America, it is global, and documentary has a hopeful message at the end, proposing that this situation might change in some years maybe and people start to think of other people and not of profits and money. As much as I doubt this assumption, it is of high importance that more films being made like this one, from respectable people that care enough to spread the truth all over the world, for people to see and realize what is the true imperative of humanity and human nature.

This is an interesting documentary on the garment/fashion industry that is destroying the planet and people's lives. The film juxtapositions western consumerism and third world conditions, but not so much to drive the point as a Michael Moore film. It appears instead of buying clothes that will last we buy throw away items. The result is environmentally bad. Interesting to find out is that we also send so much donated items to Haiti, that we have ruined their local garment industry. The film also looks at farms, seeds, pesticides, and disease in the third world due to the garment industry. It pushes "Fair Trade" on us. Steven Colbert has replaced Noam Chomsky for commentary, for better or worse. The Stella McCartney train interview with shadows hiding an oddly tilted head should have been shot over. During the film a Bangladesh factory worker has supposed to visit London (?) and report back to the village about their customers. I expected that to be the climax of the film with her saying something poignant, but it never happened. Too much Stella McCartney. This was a three star production on a five star message. Was this a commercial for "Fair Trade?" Note to self: Jos. A. Banks is cheaper than paper towels.