Bread & Roses (2001)

Synopsis: Maya is a spirited young Mexican woman who is propelled by her dreams of a better life in America. After a close call with border guards and unscrupulous "coyotes" who smuggle her into the country, she arrives in Los Angeles, ready and eager to work. Her older sister, Rosa, a married woman with... Maya is a spirited young Mexican woman who is propelled by her dreams of a better life in America. After a close call with border guards and unscrupulous "coyotes" who smuggle her into the country, she arrives in Los Angeles, ready and eager to work. Her older sister, Rosa, a married woman with two children and a sick husband, is painfully aware of the realities awaiting Latinos in the U.S. But Maya is relentlessly optimistic and grateful for every opportunity, including the chance to join Rosa at her job cleaning office buildings at night. Quickly, Maya's optimism sours. Her lecherous boss demands a commission of two months' salary just for giving her the job, the hours are long, the wages are ridiculously low, and there is no security. The janitors in Maya's group are always subject to the whims of their volatile boss. Only Reuben, a young co-worker who is saving his money to go to law school, imagines a better life for himself. The other janitors are reconciled to their fates, until Sam, a young and disarming union organizer, opens their eyes. He explains that union janitors enjoy higher wages, paid vacations, and medical benefits. Maya and her friends should join the "Justice for Janitors" campaign, persuading office buildings that hire cheaper, non-union cleaning contractors to work with the Service Employees International Union. Surprised that she has "rights," Maya helps Sam to rally the janitors in her circle, encouraging them to participate in meetings and demonstrations. Maya's political and social awakening is a difficult one. Her rush of empowerment is undercut by Rosa's insistence that her younger sister face certain ugly truths. Rosa reveals that she worked as a prostitute in Mexico to support her parents and siblings and that she had to sleep with her boss to secure Maya her job as a janitor. She does not believe in fairy tale endings and is opposed to any involvement with a union. She warns that if Maya persists in fighting for her rights, there will be a price to pay. Buoyed by her optimism, Maya refuses to believe that she cannot win every battle on her own terms. Her generous, but foolhardy, efforts to help Reuben pay his law school tuition lead her to commit an impromptu convenience store hold-up, and she seems to escape undetected. But every action has its price. Just at the moment when the workers are successful in their efforts to unionize, Maya must face her own harsh realities. In a bittersweet conclusion, she experiences victory and defeat. -- © 2001 Lions Gate [More]