The Haul

Khmer (Cambodian) language with English subtitles
Lina is a garment worker in Cambodia. In April 2021, the country is under lockdown due to an outbreak of Covid-19. Lina is still expected to complete her shift at the factory. When her husband catches the virus, she must race to complete her production quota in record time to help her family before they are taken to a government quarantine camp.
The film contrasts the experiences of UK clothing consumers and Cambodian clothing producers during the Covid-19 crisis. During the pandemic, hundred of thousands of garment workers in Cambodia were left unemployed as UK fashion brands and retailers cancelled orders with local suppliers. Workers were left hungry and saddled with mounting debts. As well as spotlighting the impacts of the disruption on Cambodian workers, The Haul considers their constrained responses to this crisis. Global stakeholders described the pandemic as a "wake up call" for the fashion industry and the ILO promised to "build back better" for more just and sustainable supply chains in the wake of Covid-19. However, the pandemic has exacerbated existing trends of informal, insecure, and intense work in the garment industry. In contrast to the lofty rhetoric of the ILO, therefore, "recovery" has been on adverse terms that have weakened workers position in hierarchies and systems of global production and power.