About the films:

 Venezuela from Below (2004, 67 minutes)

In the film "Venezuela from Below," the true actors in the social process are able to speak: the grassroots. After an introduction by philosopher Carlos Lazo, workers from the oil company PDVSA in Puerto La Cruz report how in 2002/2003 they protected the refinery from breaking down during the oil sabotage, which was pawned off as a strike, and how they were able to reinstate oil production. Several farmers from a newly founded cooperative in Aragua report on their process of self organization, on the literacy campaign, and how things should continue. A women's bank project in Miranda and several loan recipients from Caracas' disadvantaged district, 23 de Enero, present their projects. Indígena community members near the Orinoco river in Bolívar speak about how their demands and struggles are reflected in the constitution and what has changed for them. Workers from the occupied National Valve Company in Los Teques and the paper production company Venepal in Carabobo - which was occupied by 350 workers after the owners drove it to bankruptcy, and which now, after a partial agreement, is running production again - speak about corrupt unions, labor control, and their struggles. Protagonists in the revolutionary movement Tupamaro, the cultural foundation Simón Bolívar, the leftist website www.23.net, and the Bolivarian Circle Abrebrecha from 23 de Enero report on their work and what has changed for them through the social revolutions.

In their second film regarding political and social change in Venezuela, after “Venezuela from Below” (67 min., 2004),  and Ressler focus on the industrial sector in “5 Factories–Worker Control in Venezuela“. The changes in Venezuela's productive sphere are demonstrated with five large companies in various regions: a textile company, aluminum works, a tomato factory, a cocoa factory, and a paper factory. In all, the workers are struggling for different forms of co- or self-management supported by credits from the government. “The assembly is basically governing the company”, says Rigoberto López from the textile factory “Textileros del Táchira” in front of steaming tubs. And coning machine operator Carmen Ortiz summarizes the experience as follows: “Working collectively is much better than working for another–working for another is like being a slave to that other”. The protagonists portrayed at the five production locations present insights into ways of alternative organizing and models of workers' control.

About the filmmakers:

Oliver Ressler is an artist who is doing projects on various socio-political themes. Since 1994 he has been concerned with theme specific exhibitions, projects in public space, and videos on issues of racism, migration, genetic engineering, economics, forms of resistance and social alternatives. Many of Resslers works are produced as collaborations: The ongoing project “Boom!” with the US-artist David Thorne, the films “Venezuela from Below” and “5 Factories–Worker Control in Venezuela” with the political analyst Dario Azzellini, and numerous of projects on racism and migration with artist Martin Krenn. Recently the film “What Would It Mean To Win?” in collaboration with the Australian artist Zanny Begg has been finished.

More info: ressler.at

Dario Azzellini, 1967, MA in political sciences, social investigator, author and translator. Working as free lance author for print media, radio and TV. Official translator for italian-spanish-german. Member of the council and collaborator of the foundation „Bildungswerk Berlin der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung“. Collaborator of the Research- and Documentation-Centre Chile and Latin America (FDCL). Collaborator of the Migration Research-Centre (FFM) and of the Latin America Commission of the foundation “Umverteilen”.

More info: azzellini.net