OSH in the Movies: This Time It’s Personal

Posted on by James Kesner, PhD

Cinema marqueeIf our original blog entry on Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter has demonstrated anything, it is that OSH-related issues permeate the movies—whether they are from Hollywood or Bollywood, blockbusters or independent films, foreign flicks or documentaries—and whether the OSH issues are portrayed on screen or occurred while making the movies. A recent release from Peru, “The Milk of Sorrow” [La teta asustada], describes a young woman exploited by her employer while working as a maid. Another recent release, “Last Train Home,” portrays the devastating impact of occupational stress on migrant workers in present-day China caught between its rural past and industrial future. And lest the reader be lulled into thinking occupational hazards are relegated to America’s past, “The Company Men,” opening in October, describes the stress and disruption of workplace downsizing on the lives of three workers (Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper), their families and their communities.

As promised, we’re posting a tabulation of the films we have all forwarded that directly or otherwise relate to occupational hazards—past, present and future. You might consider this entry as a sequel to the original blog: “OSH in the Movies: This Time It’s Personal.” Your suggestions are fabulous in their variety and quality. Many brought back wonderful memories. Many provoked me to think about the workplace threats described in these movies, whether presented as screwball comedies or in deadly seriousness. And of the films I have not seen or didn’t know, I have added several to my “to see” list. So, thank you, all.

And, as promised, I am foolishly wading into the waters of contriving “Best Of” lists. Foolish because opinions about which movies are the best or which movies best represent OSH issues are inherently subjective. So why make the lists? To provoke you to consider these movies and the array of qualities each brings with it and, in this case, the different ways that issues of OHS are communicated, and their effectiveness.

I have derived three lists, ordered alphabetically: (1) films I think best portray OSH issues within the movie, (2) films that were associated with occupational hazards during production, and (3) films I felt deserved mention due to their eclectic nature. But make sure you look at the others not on these lists. There are some marvelous movies that depict OSH issues very well. And while your submissions include several Sci-Fi flicks, please don’t let that plant a subliminal seed that workplace hazards are a thing of the past or future, fictional, or no longer encountered in the “developed” countries such as the U.S.

Top 11 Films
Depicting OS&H Issues
Top 7 Films
OS&H Issues During Production
Bagh Bahadur [Tiger Man/Tiger Dancer]

Last Man On Earth

Manufactured Landscapes

Matewan

Metropolis

Modern Times

Norma Rae

Radium City

Silkwood

Song of the Canary

You Are My Sunshine

Alice in Wonderland

Apocalypse Now

Easy Street

The Soloist

Twilight Zone: The Movie

White Christmas

The Wizard of Oz

Top 10 Films
Special Category
Best film to credit its toxicant in bold letters: 42nd Street

Best film to depict occupational risks of post-apocalytic sex worker: A Boy and His Dog

Best film NOT to depict the potential occupational risk: Breaking Away

Best film presenting risk of workers presenting films: Cinema Paradiso

Best film with 3-D depiction of its occupational risk: Creature from the Black Lagoon

Best (most cited) film with environmental, not occupational exposure: Erin Brockovich

Best film poetically portraying severe workplace stress: The Hurt Locker

Best film depicting cause of scrotal cancer in Dickensian chimney sweeps: Mary Poppins

Best film depicting worker pretending to suffer from exposure to garner favors: Nothing Sacred

Best OSH short film edited from a Top-10 OSH-related film: Pandemic Disease in Three Minutes (or the evolution of a skeptical scientist)

See the full movie list (A new list based on reader input and new films was posted on 12/18/2015).

I encourage you to consider my choices, to spiritedly express your disagreements with my choices, and to go through all 82 movies to select your favorites. What should your criteria be for “Best”? Whatever you want them to be. Mine were that they depict occupational (versus environmental) risks, and that they are original, clever, poignant and good movies. Please provide your favorites (up to five) in the comment section below. We would also like to hear your comments about your choices, how you made them, and whatever you would like us to consider.

Also, the 10th Annual DC Labor Filmfest will be 12-18 October 2010, with an impressive schedule of diverse films. Read more about the Filmfest including some of the films to be presented and films shown in years past. And for those of you who can’t travel to DC for the Filmfest, the Filmfest will come to you. Their “Working Lunch: 6 Short Films About Labor” program was so popular last year, that they’ve put together another collection of great labor shorts for free noontime screenings. Times are available for October 12-19. All you need to provide is a conference room, equipment to play a DVD, and interested colleagues. The compilation runs 30 minutes. And, the same good folks who organize the DC Labor Filmfest have compiled a list of thousands and thousands of labor-related movies. That website is currently being reconstructed, but we’ll let you know when it comes back online.

Dr. Kesner is a research biologist in the NIOSH Reproductive Health Assessment Team in the Division of Applied Research and Technology

Posted on by James Kesner, PhD

89 comments on “OSH in the Movies: This Time It’s Personal”

Comments listed below are posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. These comments do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC does not guarantee that any information posted by individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. Read more about our comment policy ».

    How about WALL-E? If we keep up our sedentary workstyles, we’ll all end up like those bloated people in the movie with our supersized drinks who have lost muscle tone. Sedentary work is one of the most insidious occupational hazards we have.

    The Center for Safety in the Arts compiled a list of 40 fatalities from 1980-89 in American motion picture and television production. This includes fatalities in American films and in films shot abroad by American companies or their subsidiaries. Of these 40 fatalities, 21 occurred while doing stunts or special effects. Only 8 of the 21 stunt or special effects fatalities involved stunt performers; the other stunt fatalities included 4 camera operators or related crew, 6 actors, 1 pilot, and 2 bystanders. The important conclusion to be drawn from this is that stunts and special effects put not only stunt performers at risk, but also everyone else on the set as well.

    Of the remaining 19 fatalities, all 9 of the fatalities that occurred during ordinary filming, and 5 of the 10 non-filming fatalities involved helicopters (and one airplane accident). The rest of the fatalities involved accidents on the set (electrocution, a crane accident, and being hit by a truck and a steel beam, and a blank gun accident). High risk stunts are clearly not the only hazard on the set.

    Table 1-1. Motion Picture/Television Production: Fatalities 1980-89 1980 Rodney Mitchell (cameraman)
    TV Series: “Dukes of Hazzard”.
    Circumstances: car chase
    1980 Robert Van Der Kar (cameraman)
    TV Series: “Magnum PI”.
    Circumstances: helicopter accident
    1980 unknown stuntwoman *
    Circumstances: fall from roof.
    1980 unknown male (producer) *
    Film: unknown
    Circumstances: hit by steel beam
    1981 Jack Tyre (stuntman)
    Film: “Sword and the Sorcerer”.
    Circumstances: falling off cliff stunt.
    1981 Boris Sagol (director)
    TV Film: “World War III”.
    Circumstances: helicopter accident
    1981 unknown male (camera assistant) *
    Film. Unknown
    Circumstances: hit by truck
    1982 Jack Tandberg (cameraman)
    TV Film: “The Five of Me”
    Circumstances: car chase
    1982 David Perrin (stunt pilot), Jaron Anderson (mechanic), Nigel Thornton (helicopter pilot).
    Film: “High Road to China”
    Circumstances: helicopter crash en route to location in Yugoslavia
    1982 Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh Lee, Renee Chen (performers)
    Film: “The Twilight Zone”
    Circumstances: helicopter accident.
    1983 Joseph Leonard Svec (skydiver)
    Film: “The Right Stuff”.
    Circumstances: skydiving accident
    1984 Jon Eric-Hexum (actor)
    TV Series: “Cover-Up”.
    Circumstances: blank gunshot
    1985 Art Scholl (stunt pilot)
    Film: “Top Gun”.
    Circumstances: airplane accident
    1985 Reid Rondell (stuntman)
    TV Series: “Airwolf”
    Circumstances: helicopter accident
    1985 Claudio Cassinelli (actress), Don Nasca (pilot)
    Film: “Hands of Stone”.
    Circumstances: helicopter accident
    1985 Rich Holley (pilot)
    Film: “Runaway Train”.
    Circumstances: helicopter accident en route to Alaska filming location
    1985 unknown stuntman *
    Entertainment production.
    Circumstances: fall from height.
    1986 Dar Robinson (stuntman)
    Film: “Million Dollar Mystery”.
    Circumstances: motorcycle stunt
    1986 Bruce Ingram (cameraman)
    Film: “The Wraith”.
    Circumstances: car chase
    1986 Martin Wenzel and Conrad Wenzel (bystanders)
    Film: “Gor”.
    Circumstances: gas cylinder explosion-fire scene in South Africa.
    1986 unknown fatality **
    Film: unknown
    Circumstances: crane accident
    1987 Victor Magnotta (stuntman)
    Film: “Skip Tracer”.
    Circumstances: car stunt
    1987 4 unknown fatalities
    Film: “Braddock: “Missing in Action III”.
    Circumstances: helicopter crash in Philippines.
    1988 Patrick Dungan (electrician)
    Film: “Men Don’t Leave”.
    Circumstances: electrocution
    1989 Geoff Brewer (stuntman), Gadi Danzig (cameraman), Michael Graham (key grip), Jojo Imperial(pilot), Don Marshall (gaffer).
    Film: “Delta Force 2”.
    Circumstances: helicopter crash in Philippines.
    1989 Clint Carpenter (stuntman)
    Film: “Hired to Kill”.
    Circumstances: helicopter stunt in Corfu.
    1989 Tobi Halicki (director)
    Film: “Gone in 60 Seconds II”.
    Circumstances: falling water tower special effect.

    Sources:

    * National Traumatic Occupational Fatality Database (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

    ** California Division of Labor Statistics and Research news clippings from the Cinema: Accidents file of the Lincoln Center Library for Performing Arts.

    McCann, Michael. 1991. LIGHTS! CAMERA! SAFETY! A Health and Safety Manual for Motion Picture and Television Production. 2nd ed. Center for Safety in the Arts.

    Even though the adverse effect is not depicted or discussed in the movie, I mentioned Breaking Away in the original blog as a movie with a lot of bicycle riding by the young protagonist, pointing out that NIOSH research has demonstrated that police officers, racers, and other professionals who ride bicycles experience compromised sexual functions.

    North Country [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395972/] needs to be added to the list. Story about extreme sexual harassment of women miners in the taconite mines on Minnesota’s Iron Range. I’ve read a nonfiction account of the story more recently than I’ve seen the movie, so don’t recall if the movie addressed this, but there were some serious workplace safety issues caused by the treatment of the women.

    But how can this list be complete without “Safety Last” by Harold Lloyd!!!
    [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014429/]

    Storyline
    Country boy (Lloyd) heads to the big city to seek success. While working as a clerk in a department store, he talks the manager into offering $1000 to anyone who can bring more customers to the store. He then arranges for a friend, a “human fly,” (Strothers) to climb the face of the store building as a publicity stunt. Unfortunatly the “human fly” is a wanted man, and when “The Law” (Young) shows, our hero must make the climb, himself. At each ledge he encounters new difficulties, climaxing in the famous ‘clock scene.’

    You should include “Captains Courageous,” with Spencer Tracy. It’s a wonderful film using a story written by Rudyard Kipling, and it highlights the dangers of commercial fishing (in addition to the main theme of curing a spoiled rich brat by making him reallize what’s really important in life). Make sure you see the original B&W with Spencer Tracy. A remake was horrible.

    For toxic references, you should include “Arsenic and Old Lace,” with Cary Grant.

    also include “The Full Monty” — redundant manufacturing workers forced into contigent labor. Also with the following priceless dialogue while their watching a vidoe of ‘Flashdance’ with Jen Beals welding:

    “I hope she dances better than she welds. Look at that. It’s like Bonfire Night. That’s too much acetylene. Them joints won’t hold f%$# all.”

    Three good ones to add:

    Under the Same Moon
    [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796307/]

    The Navigators
    [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279977/]

    Hellfighters
    [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063060/]

    Suggesting: How Green Was My Valley
    starred Roddy McDowell
    Set in a Welsh mining village against a background of mining disasters and diseases. A young boy, after suffering an illness, gets a chance at an education and a life not spent working in the mines.

    Great idea. I would add “GATTACA” (1997). This had a near-future dystopic storyline highlighting some possible adverse consequences of workplace genetic testing as well as ways of cheating this. It also managed to be a well-acted and absorbing movie. [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/]

    from IMDB: “In the not-too-distant future, a less than perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a fall. With some professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing.”

    This is such a great idea. Thanks for putting this film list together; it’s been really interesting to look through all of them, especially those I’ve seen before.

    One film to add to category 2 (oh&s issues during production):

    The Crow (1994), during which Brandon Lee was fatally wounded during a shooting scene; it’s thought shortcuts were taken with the ‘weapons’ being used (although not confirmed). It was such a popular film when I was in high school, and all my friends talked about the accident, so it has always stuck with me.

    In addition, there were issues/red flags leading up to Lee’s death, including non-fatal injuries to both a carpenter (bodily burns) and a stuntman (broken ribs), as well as some equipment catching on fire. A brilliant film on screen, but clearly all was not sound on set.

    I remember the film “Blazing Saddles” (mid 1970s), a comedy ‘western’, which had a sequence in which Hedley Lamarr is assembling a massive gang of roughnecks to demolish the town of Rock Ridge, which stands in the path of a railway that he is hoping to build. The recruiting advertisement bears the legend ‘Hedley Lamarr, an Equal Opportunity Employer’!

    Silver City by John Sayles depicts an occupational fatality in a meat packing plant in Colorado. Riff Raff is a British film by Ken Loach about construction workers and the dangers they face.

    Also check out the film Christ in Concrete. It is about Italian immigrants in NYC in the early 1900s working construction. One dies by falling into a concrete pour. His son takes his place on the job.

    Having recently seen The Hurt Locker, I must agree! I did see someone mention Flashdance and the welding scene..blatant disregard for safety there, and Wall E – another good one, lack of consideration for the health of people. Great post here.

    One you might add to your list of OS&H issues during filming, for possible long-term health effects from on-set radiation fallout exposure: The Conqueror, starring John Wayne as Ghengis Khan and filmed on site near St. George, UT in 1956 during the height of aboveground nuclear testing.

    Apparently 91 of 220 of the cast and crew involved with filming had developed some form of cancer by 1981. As always in clusters, it’s hard to demonstrate a causal association, but still it’s an interesting example of the issues…
    see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conqueror_(film)#Cancer_controversy]

    “The Face of Decent Work” produced by the ILO. It used to be posted on their web site, but no longer. I was able to obtain a DVD.

    A good film that provides viewers images of working conditions world-wide, including images of child labor.

    By the way, Sunshine Cleaners includes some details on BBP when cleaning up after deaths.

    The DVD has a nice featurette interviewing tow ladies who do this type of work.

    A few notes that may be of interest: Kate Winslet recently visited CDC in Atlanta and spent a few days talking with researchers about the organization and their work in preparation for her new film Contagion. Described as “an action-thriller based on the global outbreak of a deadly viral disease and an international team of doctors contracted by CDC to deal with the crisis,” Contagion is scheduled for release in 2011.

    I recently had the good fortune to see Last Train Home, a fascinatingly poignant film that documents how the lives of millions of Chinese migrant workers are disrupted by their dual lives.

    Another film I mentioned previously, The Company of Men, starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner about “three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company – and how that affects them, their families, and their communities,” has opened to good reviews.

    Has anyone seen any other recent movies with occupational safety and health connections, or heard of any in the works? My best wishes to you all and your families for a wonderful holiday season and for a healthy, prosperous New Year.

    This is an amazing blog, smart. Lots of comments. Lets go! Chris, you are right, Hurt Locker isn’t just a movie, its an truly amazing epic movie. Should be more like that! I enjoy the action pack ‘Black Hawk Down’ as well. Its amazing.

    Have a few more great ones to add to the list…”Always” depicted the extreme dangers aerial firefighters face, “Gattaca” highlights the potential new workplace built on the genetic perfection of the human race, “Backdraft” and “Frequency” provide insight into the hazards that firefighters face. “Falling Down” shares the extremes that job stress can take people to, “Food, Inc.” explicitly highlights the mess our food safety industry is in and “The Handmaid’s Tale” is an insightful look into sterility due to environmental contamination. The whole “Grey’s Anatomy” series is a wonderful insight into the the stresses, strains and physical hazards our medical profession faces every day, “Heaven and Earth” brings to light what our Vietnam Vets experienced and still struggle with in terms of PTSD. “Human Trafficking” is a poignant, heartbreaking look into the extreme suffering this new illegal market has generated, “If You Could See What I Hear” is a wonderful, comedic journey into the world of blindness and it’s challenges and frailties, and “The Stone Merchant” opens a window into the new world of Terrorism that is so easy to walk through the door of the workplace. “Pacific Heights” can potentially scare anyone out of becoming a renter and the ALL-TIME BEST is a film called “Earth and The American Dream” that takes one through the industrial growth of our country from the time of Columbus up to now. This film is the most BEAUTIFUL look into the consequences of a LACK of safety and focus on environment that has landed us where we are today. It highlights perfectly our environmental safety and health dilemma!

    “Margaret’s Museum”, an indy Canadian film staring Helena Bonham Carter, is a dense and mordant study of Irish immigrants to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and the dangers of the coal industry. Great sociological insights as well as treatment of ohs issues. Caution: ending is very intense.

    During the filming of the famous Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers dance routine “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, a worker on the set had to polish the floor between takes to remove the scuff marks. Apparently there were over 200 takes (Ginger Rogers said later that her feet were bleeding by the wrap). The worker got chemical hepatitis and may have died (I’m not sure): the cleaning agent was carbon tetrachloride.

    Although there are no ohs issues explicitly raised in it, “The Return of the Secaucus Seven” (one of my favorite movies of all time, much better than “The Big Chill” IMHO) features the divergent pathways and work lives of its characters after they graduate and disperse, including the relationship between the medical student and the gas station attendant, who had been friends since high school and then find themselves on opposite sides of a class divide but are still attracted to each other.

    There is a very old (early ’60s?) British comedy with Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas called “I’m All Right, Jack” with workplace issues. When it came back to the foreign film & art movie house in our town, some years after its initial release, my parents took my brother and me to see it. I remember very little of the story, which was probably over my head at the time–it had something to do with labor organizing–but there is a scene in a candy factory that is unforgettable.

    Interestingly, my brother grew up to become a mechanical engineer and for quite a few years worked for a company that designed sanitation systems for food-processing factories. I always thought the movie must have inspired him.

    Just saw Any Given Sunday. It highlights the risks of injury for professional football players and includes many topics recently in the news — concussions, playing when injured.

    Great idea. I would add “GATTACA” (1997). This had a near-future dystopic storyline highlighting some possible adverse consequences of workplace genetic testing as well as ways of cheating this. It also managed to be a well-acted and absorbing movie

    Thanks for sharing

    This is such a wonderful concept. Thanks for putting this movie list together; it’s been truly fascinating to check out all them, specifically those I have actually seen prior to.

    One movie to contribute to classification 2 (oh & s concerns throughout manufacturing):.

    The Crow (1994), throughout which Brandon Lee was fatally injured throughout a capturing scene; it’s thought faster ways were taken with the ‘weapons’ being made use of (although not validated). It was such a popular movie when I was in senior high school, and all my pals discussed the mishap, so it has actually constantly stuck to me.

    In addition, there were issues/red flags getting at Lee’s fatality, consisting of non-fatal injuries to both a carpenter (physical burns) and a stuntman (busted ribs), along with some devices catching on fire. A fantastic movie on display, however plainly all was not seem on set.

    i found the hurt locker a little too standard, as in there wasnt much surpirse for me, an ok watch but not very exciting

    Hello ;
    Thank you for this effort , I’m really interested in “Twilight Zone: The Movie” I’ve watched The trailer and i loved it .

    My Best Regards

    The hurt locker movie was great. Tough some may only see it as an entertainment, for me its an very important movie about what happens in the war. Have you heard about that spanish phrase “Mejores peliculas”, well that movie fits in it.

    Incredible ! List. i saw “Last Train Home” it is heart touching story.How the parents reunited with there children and there struggle for future. Great film again thanks for the list of films – must watch it.

    The hurt Locker is the best film. It depicts how stressful is the job of bomb diffusing squad. Its life or death situation for them. This film won lots of prestigious awards. Yes worth watching it.

    Dear Dr. Kesner.
    I love your lists especially Alice In Wonderland, this is the most classic and amazing movie! Nowadays cable tv always show the beautiful movie from around the globe, thanks to HBO and Sundance for bring us this chance. Appreciate your hard work for sharing with us.

    Thanks, This Post Very Nice, – I like your all posting and inspired much to see that Hollywood or Bollywood, blockbusters or independent

    Can’t believe you took the time to put this great movie and series list together. Would love to get my hands on the Dukes of Hazzard series.

    and yess I have to agree that Wall-E is a fine example and I felt this was a subtle moral to the film. Very Informative

    Odd but great list that made me rewatch Wall-E yesterday on Popcorn Time. Amazing movie with several layers.

    On May 26th, 2015, the Workers Unite Film Festival in New York City screened the world premiere of a new documentary “Blood on the Mountain.” While I haven’t seen the film, and it doesn’t appear to have been released for distribution yet, I’ve read some of the buzz and it sounds like an important film worth checking out. Per the reviews, the film chronicles the devastating toll of coal mining on the workers, their families and the mountains they call home in West Virginia. The film’s homepage is at http://www.bloodonthemountain.com. A review is at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/blood-on-the-mountain-new_b_7443652.html. If you’ve seen the film let us know what you thought.

    That is an amazing blog, smart. Tons of comments. Allows go! Chris, you’re ideal, Hurt Locker is not simply a movie, its an certainly amazing epic movie. Really should be additional like that! I delight in the motion pack ‘Black Hawk Down’ in addition. Its astounding.

    Thank you to everyone for continuing to add to this fantastic list of the many and varied connections between the movies and occupational health and safety. Here are a few more; some are recent releases plus a few oldies. Please keep forwarding your movie connections for our collective edification and entertainment.

    “Love Serenade” (1996): While filming the scene when the Ken Sherry character is pushed off the grain silo, stuntman Collin Dragsbaek, doubling for actor George Shetsov, died when he fell onto a faulty airbag.

    “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” (2015): Harrison Ford broke his ankle while filming and director JJ Abrams broke his back while trying to lift the hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon that fell on Ford.

    “The Martian” (2015): Highlight hazards for astronauts. Space exploration is inherently dangerous. I can’t believe we missed all of these the first go around: “Apollo 13,” “Gravity,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Alien,” etc.

    “Concussion” (2015): Addresses the issue of risk from concussion in professional football.

    “The 33” (2015): Based on the true story of Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days.
    “In The Heart Of The Sea” (2015): Illustrates the occupational risks of 19th century whaling. In this case, the eventual risk was greater for the predators than the prey in a true event that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick.

    “A Ballerina’s Tale” (2015): This documentary depicts African American ballerina Misty Copeland’s potentially career ending injury as well as themes of race and body image in the elite world of ballet.

    “A Day’s Work” documents the death of 21 year old Day Davis on his first day as a temporary employee thru the eyes of his family and analysis experts. In her review of “A Day’s Work” (www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-1030-chicago-closeup-20151029-column.html), Chicago Tribune reporter, Nina Metz, refers to a 1980 work safety film called “Shake Hands with Danger” (www.imdb.com/title/tt0417125/) that includes a ditty with the lyrics:
    Shake hands with danger
    Meet a guy who oughta know
    I used to laugh at safety
    Now they call me Three-Finger Joe.
    Tragically, because of workplace practices frequently used for temporary workers, Day Davis lost more than a couple fingers.

    This is an amazing blog, smart. Lots of comments. Lets go! Chris, you are right, Hurt Locker isn’t just a movie, its an truly amazing epic movie. Should be more like that! I enjoy the action pack ‘Black Hawk Down’ as well. Its amazing.

    Sometimes the best films are found in this kind of cinemas, although the “”peliculas”” Are the best there is at the moment, thanks for the contribution.

    Now that all the excitement of the Oscars has settled – along with the embarrassment of announcing the wrong winner – it seems like this might be a good time to consider how some of the Oscar nominees and other recent releases portrayed occupational health & safety issues:

    • “Hacksaw Ridge” is an Oscar nominee for Best Picture. A true story that joins the ranks of films that depict the dangers associated with being a soldier at war, even, in this case, for a conscientious objector awarded the Medal of Honor.

    • “The White Helmets” won Oscar’s Best Documentary Short Subject for its depiction of Syrian first responders who try to rescue victims from the horrors of war and, in the process, place their own lives in grave peril.

    • “Hidden Figures” is another Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Also based on true stories, this film illustrates the stress and potential hazards associated with workplace prejudice. In this case, the threat is directed towards 3 mathematicians who happen to be African American women working at NASA in the 1950’s-60’s in a very white man’s world.

    • “Lion” is the third film nominated for Oscar’s Best Picture. The film tells the true story of the risks associated with childhood labor that irreparably altered the lives of a 5-year-old boy and his impoverished family living in rural India.

    • “Arrival” is the fourth nominee for Oscar’s Best Picture with an OSH connection. The film portrays the physical and psychological hazards associated with working as a translator for aliens from outer space. This movie is not based on a true story and to my knowledge, describes an occupation that remains a niche vocation.

    • “Hell or High Water” dramatically illustrates the dangers that police officers – Texas Rangers in this case – encounter in their work while striving to keep the peace, protect the banks, and subdue the criminals.

    • “Silence” is a film by Martin Scorsese that depicts the life-threatening hazards directed against Portuguese missionaries proselytizing in 17th century Japan to a decidedly unreceptive population and government.

    • “The Eagle Huntress” is an award-winning documentary featuring a 13-year-old Kazakh girl who becomes one of the first females in Mongolia to take on the subsistence responsibility – and art – of nomads who train and manage eagles to help hunt and capture food. While there is risk associated with this form of child-labor, this film, like “Hidden Figures,” also celebrates female empowerment.

    • “Deepwater Horizon” is a dramatization of the all-too-real April 2010 disaster when the offshore oil drilling rig of the same name exploded, killing 11 workers, and creating the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Tragically, the disaster occurred after BP executives curtailed inspections and system tests against the impassioned protests of the company’s general operations supervisor and chief electrical engineer. This movie entry comes from @roguebug via Twitter.

    I suggest you include “Captains Courageous,” with Spencer Tracy. It’s a great movie of a nice a story written by Rudyard Kipling,

    My favorite movie is the wolf of wall street. I loved the acting of both Leonardo Decaprio and Jonah Hill.

    Dear Dr. Kesner.
    I love your lists especially Alice In Wonderland, this is the most classic and amazing movie! Nowadays cable tv always show the beautiful movie from around the globe, thanks to HBO and Sundance for bring us this chance. Appreciate your hard work for sharing with us.

    Dear Dr. Kesner.
    I love your lists especially Alice In Wonderland, this is the most classic and amazing movie! Nowadays cable tv always show the beautiful movie from around the globe, thanks to HBO and Sundance for bring us this chance. Appreciate your hard work for sharing with us.

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