Fruits of Labor

Ashley Solis is a high school senior who must divide her time between school and supporting her family as a second-generation Mexican American. Located in a California working class town, the harshness of agricultural labor in the strawberry fields shares a stark contrast with the beautiful nature and relationship to her spiritual ancestral upbringing. This film documents Ashley’s life guided by the spirit world through her hardships and joys in modern America.

Latinx filmmaker based in Oakland who earned her doctorate in Anthropology (2011) with a certificate in Culture and Media at New York University. Her film work pairs lyricism with social activism, advocating for labor, environmental, and health justice. Her documentary BODIES AT WAR/MINA (2015) premiered at El Festival de Cine de Bogotá and screened in 22 municipalities most affected by landmines in Colombia. Her short films reach wide audiences internationally through The Guardian, The Intercept, and Independent Lens. Her feature documentary, FRUITS OF LABOR had its World Premiere at SXSW 2021, winning multiple awards on the festival circuit and broadcasted in the US on PBS POV American Documentary.

– SXSW South by Southwest 2021 – World Premiere (USA)
– Hot Docs International Film Festival 2021 – International Premiere (Canada)
– Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2021 – Official Selection (USA)
– Chicago Latino Film Festival 2021 – Official Selection (USA)
– Seattle International Film Festival 2021 – Official Selection (USA)
– International Film Festival Boston 2021 – Karen Schmeer Excellence in Editing Award (USA)
– San Francisco Doc Festival 2021 – Best Documentary in American Profiles (USA)