Dir. Mikhail Borodin - 68min - 2021 - Germany, Uzbekistan

COTTON100% follows human rights activist Elena and farmer Mukhabbat, navigating the harsh working practices of Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Mukhabbat leases land from the state, but water shortages make it difficult for her to meet stringent production quotas. The work is labour intensive, with many workers being forcibly recruited, and Elena works tirelessly to improve pay and living conditions. Borodin’s film documents the exploitation of workers in post-Soviet Uzbekistan, caught between tradition and the drive for modernity.