Milk Factory
First prize, Pictures of the Year International, Documentary Daily Life Category
10 minutes, 4K Video, 2021

“Milk Factory” takes us behind the scenes in a lactation suite at U.S. House of Representatives, created by Nancy Pelosi, where women from different parties connect, a rare opportunity in an era of intense divisiveness when cooperation is key to legislation benefiting families. The United States remains the only high-income country in the world that does not offer paid family leave, causing many people to return to work soon after giving birth and contributing to the pervasiveness of pumping in the workplace. One of the filming dates coincided with congress adopting the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, but more work needs to be done. Despite this advance, the United States remains the only high-income country in the world that does not offer mandated paid family leave, causing many women to return to work soon after giving birth and contributing to the pervasiveness of pumping in the workplace. The film highlights the growth of lactation rooms, addressing systemic issues affecting women, particularly women of color and working parents. “Milk Factory” resonates as a portrait of advocacy amid divisiveness, emphasizing the importance of cooperation for legislative change that benefits families.

Watch Milk Factory here