The documentary The Story of a Panty and of Those Who Make It provides an immersive look into the lives of those who work in the shadow of the textile industry.

The process of making a pair of panties connects Yulduz, a farmer in the Uzbek cotton fields deprived of freedom of expression; Janaki, a young Sumangali spinner who had to leave the school benches for the factory; Mythili, a dyer in India who dreams of becoming a mother; Risma, an activist for the rights of women workers in Indonesia and my mother, Pascale, who runs a small clothing store in Belgium. But since the relocation of factories 30 years ago, she is no longer able to offer clothes 100 % Made in Belgium.

At each stage of its production, from country to country, the story of this panty takes us into the intimacy of the lives of these five women, each one a link in a global production chain. The film questions the value that one gives to the clothes but more importantly to the lives of those who make it.

Since my childhood, I helped my mom unpack clothes and store them on the shelves of the shop. At that time, the vast majority of the clothes sold were produced in Belgium. Thirty years later, the origin of the clothes took on a more Asian appearance.

Meanwhile, in the West, the trend is over-consumption. Although prices are more democratic, the price of a garment does not correspond to the real cost of its production.

So what’s the real price of a garment, and what are its hidden costs?

The environmental and sanitary cost. In 20 years the production of clothes has doubled. This obviously creates a huge impact on our planet. To keep up with the current demands of the textile sector, all resources must be multiplied. In Uzbekistan, in the early 1960s, the Aral Sea covered an area of 66.458 km2, more than twice the size of Belgium. The intensification of cotton farming, which is very demanding in terms of water, has seen the Aral Sea lose 90% of its surface area. The use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, as well as dozens of toxic chemicals used in dyeing and spinning factories, are disastrous for health and the environment. In India, the number of workers with cancer is increasing, as well as many cases of infertility and children born with disabilities. Most of the clothes we wear contain chemicals that can have adverse health effects.

The human cost. Big brands subcontract their productions in countries with low-cost economy where labor costs almost nothing. Workers are under pressure and are obliged to reach production quotas. The factory managers respond to the directors of major brands, which in turn respond to a growing demand in the West. In Indonesia, workers have joined forces to demand decent minimum wages, better working conditions and, above all, a change in legislation at the national level.

Meanwhile, in Belgium, we face a major problem: the lack of transparency in the textile industry. Whatever the brand, regardless of the price of the product, it is impossible to know whether the garment was produced in good conditions or not.

From 17 October until 19 November 2019 at cinema Aventure in Brussels.

28 November 2024 : Mois du doc, mediathèque de l’AME - Montargis, Loire, France

22 November 2024 : Ciné débat à la bibliothèque Pierre Perret - Waremme, Belgium

9 November 2024 : Festival Hariak Zinemaldia - Hernani, Pays-Basque

28 September 2024 : Feed Dog Fashion Documentary Film Festival - Buenos Aires, Argentina

15 May 2024 : Cinex - Namur, Belgium

22 March 2024 : Feed Dog Fashion Documentary Film Festival - Barcelona, Spain

16 November 2023 : La Vénerie - Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium

8 November 2023 : Semaine de la Solidarité, Centre Culturel - Perwez, Belgium

5 October 2023 : Festival Z'héros déchet - Séméac, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

7 September 2023 : Ciné-débat Stop fast fashion, cinéma Eupen - Eupen, Belgium

25 May 2023 : Semaine de la consommation durable, Centre Culturel - Genappe, Belgium

24 May 2023 : Avansa, cinéma Le Roxy - Beringen, Limbourg, Belgium

27 April 2023 : Débat ActionAid Peuples Solidaires, La maison des étudiants - Lyon, France

27 April 2023 : Ciné- débat, Les As du climat - Gesves, Belgium

20 April 2023 : Projection scolaire, Cine 4 - Nivelles, Belgium

13 April 2023 : Ciné-débat, écocentre Pierre et Terre - Riscle, Gers, France

6 April 2023 : Ciné-débat, Le Bois du Cazier - Charleroi, Belgium

30 March 2023 : Ciné-débat, Ecolo Liège et ecolo J - Liège, Belgium

22 March 2023 : Future of Fashion, Kringwinkel - Antwerp, Belgium

8 & 9 March 2023 : Ciné-débat écoscénique, Ecole Ste Ursule - Namur, Belgium

10 February 2023 : Théatre National, séance scolaire - Brussels, Belgium

22 January 2023 : Centre Culturel Senghor - Etterbeek, Belgium

25 November 2022 : Cinéma l’entracte - Falaise, France

13 October 2022 : Avansa Limburg - Genk, Belgium

11 October 2022 : Semaine du commerce équitabe, Cinémarche - Marche, Belgium

18 August 2022 : Réseau d’entreaide volontaire, Beauvoisin - Le Gard, France

17 September 2022 : Amnesty International Belgium, Université de Namur - Namur, Belgium

12 July 2022 : Foyer associatif de Glandage - Drôme, France

3 July 2022 : Centre Culturel d'Andenne - Andenne, Belgium

17 June 2022 : Francas de Montgermont - Bretagne, France

17 May 2022 : Les grignoux, séance scolaire, cinéma Caméo - Namur, Belgium

31 March 2022 : GC Nekkersdal Laeken - Brussels, Belgium

27 March 2022 : DOCTALKS, Cinéma Lumière - Brugges, Belgium

22 March 2022 : Festival A Films Ouverts, W-Halll Woluwe-Saint-Pierre - Brussels, Belgium

10 February 2022 : CNCD Petit Théâtre de la Grande Vie - Forzée, Belgium

1 February 2022 : Ciné-débat - We Social Movements/CIEP Luxembourg - Arlon, Belgium

30 November 2021 : Groene Loper festival, cinéma Sphinx - Gent, Belgium

25 November 2021 : Wereldhuis West-Vlaanderen- Kortrijk, Belgium

11 November 2021 : CNCD 11.11.11 - Neufchâteau, Belgium

10 November 2021 : Cinéma Jacques Franck - Brussels, Belgium

9 November 2021 : Le petit echo de la mode - Châtelaudren-Plouagat, Bretagne, France

6 November 2021 : Festival Échos-ci, Échos-là - Prémian, Occitanie, France

1 November 2021 : Cinémathèque - Luxembourg ville, Luxembourg

20 October 2021 : Centre culturel de Beauraing - Belgium

16 October 2021 : La spirale - Natoye, Belgium

14 October 2021 : Elles tournent, Centre Tour à Plomb - Brussels, Belgium

12 October 2021 : Semaine du commerce équitable, ADL - Bertogne, Belgium

8 October 2021 : School screening, Cinéma Galeries - Brussels, Belgium

4 October 2021 : Afrika Filmfestival - Leuven, Belgium

30 Septembrer 2021 : Cinéma Novelty - Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium

9 September 2021 : Ciné débat de Tribal Souk - Rossignol, Gaume, Belgium

9 August 2021 : HER Docs Film Festival - Warsaw, Poland

22 July 2021 : Festival MontMiandonFilms - Annonay, Ardèche, France

16 July 2021 : Festival MontMiandonFilms - Burdignes, La Loire, France

25 May 2021 : CNCD-11.11.11 - Online Screening - Liege, Belgium

20 May 2021 : Quinoa: online - Brussels, Belgium

28 April 2021 : Semaine du commerce équitable - Fucid - Online screening - Namur, Belgium

19 April 2021 : Fashion Revolution Week, Fairtrade - Luxembourg

11 March 2021 : Soroptimist Club Bruxelles - Online screening - Belgium

4 to 8 March 2021 : HER Docs, Ninateka - Online screening - Poland

8 to 12 February 2021 : KoLere - Online screening - Rotterdam, Netherlands

21 January 2021 : Centre Culturel de Woluwe-Saint-Pierre - Online screening - Brussels, Belgium

29 November 2020 : Fair Fashion Festival - Online screening - Gand, Belgium

22-29 November 2020 : Centre culturel Jacques Franck - Online screening - Saint Gilles, Belgium

29 October 2020 : Centre culturel de Beauraing - Beauraing, Belgium

28 October 2020 : Escale Nord, Anderlecht - Brussels, Belgium

15 October 2020 : Semaine du commerce équitable, Quai 22 - Namur, Belgium

24 September 2020 : Cinéma Aventure - Brussels, Belgium

23 September 2020 : Festival Femmes de mars, au Vecteur - Charleroi, Belgium

20 September 2020 : Festival Now future, Cinema & transition(S) - Couze se Front, Dordogne, France

30 August 2020 : Projections Nomades - Bulat-Plestivien - Centre-Bretagne, France

8 March 2020 : La fonderie - Brussels, Belgium

7 March 2020 : Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival - Sarasota, Florida, USA

6 & 7 March 2020 : HER Docs Film Festival - Warsaw, Poland

6 March 2020 : Cinéma Lido - Prades, France

4 March 2020 : Oxfam, Université Libre de Bruxelles - Brussels, Belgium

23 February 2020 : Dimanche Orange, Atelier 210 - Brussels, Belgium

27 January 2020 : Écran Large sur Tableau Noir, Les Grignoux, Cinéma Caméo - Namur, Belgium

16 January 2020 : Oxfam Magasin du Monde, Etterbeek - Brussels, Belgium

4 December 2019 : Opération CNCD 11.11.11, Quatre-Quarts - Court-Saint-Etienne, Belgium

21 November 2019 : La Hulpe Environnement - La Hulpe, Belgium

21 November 2019 : Le mois du doc, Pointculture - Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

14 November 2019 : Zebrastraat - Gent, Belgium

13 November 2019 : Festival ELLES S'ENGAGENT, Centre Culturel Senghor - Brussels, Belgium

7 Novembre 2019 : North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival - Fargo, North Dakota, USA

7 November 2019 : Festival Escales Documentaires - La Rochelle, France

5 November 2019 : Le mois du doc, La Maison du Parc-Botrange - Waimes, Belgium

1 November 2019 : Festival de Cineffable - Paris, France

24 October 2019 : Seneffe en Transition - Seneffe, Belgium

22 October 2019 : Berlin Documentary Film Club - Berlin, Germany

17 October 2019 : Launch evening for cinema screening at Cinéma Aventure - Brussels, Belgium

17 October 2019 : Séance scolaire, Cinéma CGR - Saint Quentin, France

16 October 2019 : Quinzaine de la Solidarité, Cinéma Galeries - Brussels, Belgium

10 October 2019 : Art et Société, semaine du commerce équitable - Braine L'Alleud, Belgium

10 October 2019 : Cinéclub de Vielsalm - Vielsalm, Belgium

7 October 2019 : Dizaine du commerce équitable, Plaza Art - Mons, Belgium

5 October 2019 : Mois de la Transition - Bouillon, Belgium

2 October 2019 : Semaine du commerce équitable, CC de Jette - Jette, Belgium

29 September 2019 : Festival Femmes en résistance - Arcueil, Paris, France

27 September 2019 : Festival Maintenant - Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium

26 and 28 September 2019 : Seoul International Architecture Film Festival - Seoul, South Korea

19 September 2019 : Écran Large sur Tableau Noir - Les Grignoux, La Sauvenière - Liège, Belgium

10 September 2019 : Cepag CPPST-Luxembourg - Arlon, Belgium

29 July 2019 : Bristol Independent Film Festival - Bristol, United Kingdom

30 May 2019 : IFF EKOTOPFilm Envirofilm - Bratislava, Slovak Republic

16 May 2019 : Semaine de la Solidarité - Tournai, Belgium

2 May 2019 : Slow Fashion Project - Les Grignoux, Cinéma Caméo - Namur, Belgium

5 April 2019 : Human Rights International Film Festival - Kathmandu, Nepal

23 March 2019 : Festival International du Film Documentaire Millenium - Brussels, Belgium

8 March 2019 : Dames Draaien, Cinema ZED - Leuven, Belgium

27 February 2019 : Athens Fashion Film Festival - Athens, Greece

25 January 2019 : Festival Elles Tournent / Dames Draaien - Brussels, Belgium

19 December 2018 : Avant Première privée au cinéma Galeries - Brussels, Belgium

12 December 2018 : Central Asian Documentary Competition - Almaty, Kazakhstan

Audience Award - Festival Cinefabble, Paris, 2019

Best Documentary - Bristol Independent Film Festival 2019

Best Documentary - European Cinematography Awards 2018