The documentary film Blood Berries looks beyond the promise of earnings through berry picking to the lived experiences of Thai migrant pickers in Finland and Sweden.
As reported by Finnish media, many Thai citizens invited by the berry industry to Finland to harvest forest berries have faced exploitation during recent years. The film traces the consequences of berry-picking trips that fail to deliver what the pickers had hoped for.
Many pickers come from Isaan, one of Thailand’s most deprived regions. Produced by The Isaan Record, a North-East Thailand-based NGO and alternative media outlet, the documentary is based on three years of following migrants’ journeys.
The screening (about 50 min) will be followed by a panel discussion with researchers Mari Korpela and Jaana Palander, chaired by Anni Kangas.
The discussion will approach the phenomenon from several intersecting perspectives, from the legal and regulatory conditions of migrant berry picking to documentary filmmaking as a mode of research and knowledge production. The documentary reveals the harsh consequences for migrant workers of a system shaped by exploitation and global inequalities. The question remains: can the system be fixed, and if so, how?
The event is organized by TRANSIT: Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation
The event is free, and the seats are available on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
Inquiries: Anni Kangas, anni.kangas[at]tuni.fi