Monday, March 21, 2011

Triangle

During the crazy rainstorm here in LA yesterday, I caught up on CBS Sunday Morning, one of my favorite weekend morning treats. The show featured a profile commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Waist Company fire, one of New York City's grimmest days. In a month where we've seen terrible tragedy in Japan and challenges to labor unions here in the U.S., this was a compelling reminder of a time when tragedy spurred labor reform.

In 2009, HBO aired a great documentary Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags, detailing the rise and decline of New York's garment industry. The film covered the Triangle fire, so it was no surprise that its filmmakers, Marc Levin and Daphne Pinkerson, expanded on the subject with a full documentary premiering tonight on HBO. Triangle: Remembering the Fire, details that horrific day when 146 mostly female garment workers perished, many of whom lept to their deaths from the top floors in front of horrified pedestrians. The event revealed terribly unsafe working conditions - including locked doors which could have saved many lives - and led to some of the first government legislation to protect workers, including safety and fire regulations, child labor laws and worker's compensation. The film pays tribute to all of the deceased workers in the hopes that we don't forget the price they paid.

It's another reminder of the protections people now have because of the suffering and heroics of those who came before us. Another reminder of how documentaries continue to tell their stories, so we don't forget them.