A new global investigation on the impacts of climate change on worker’s health and productivity, titled “Trop chaud pour travailler” (Too Hot To Work), is set to premiere on the European public service channel Arte on June 20th. The 90-minute documentary, which was shot in Italy, France, Qatar, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Nepal, the United States, and India, aims to address the growing issue of heat stress as an occupational safety and health hazard.
The film explores how heat is endangering workers’ health and how it affects their productivity, incomes, and businesses. It also delves into how a warmer climate may transform the way we work and how workers, businesses, and governments have to adapt to this growing risk. The documentary features powerful testimonies from workers across different backgrounds, regions of the world, and sectors, including agriculture, construction, delivery package workers, clothing, and more.
An important aspect of the film’s narrative is the story of La Isla Network’s research on chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnt), from its origins in Nicaragua to the Adelante initiative implemented in the San Antonio sugar mill, to the ongoing ground research in Nepal, with returnee migrant workers from Qatar and Malaysia suffering from CKDnt. The film features Jason Glaser, founder and CEO of La Isla Network, as one of the main speakers. Shaleindra Sharma and Sweta Koirala from La Isla Network in Nepal are also featured.
“We started working on this project more than 3 years ago. This global investigation is likely to be the most comprehensive documentary piece on the issue of heat stress. We tried to gather the expertise of researchers, including epidemiologists, heat stress experts, social science researchers, architects, and economists,” said Mikael Lefrançois, co-author of the film. Lefrançois worked alongside Camille Robert to shoot the film.
The documentary is available in two versions — a 90-minute long version and a 53-minute shorter version for international broadcasts. La Isla’s activities are covered in both versions.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this global investigation and to have our activities covered in the film. The documentary sheds light on a critical issue that impacts workers worldwide and highlights the urgent need for action to address the growing risks of heat stress,” said Jason Glaser.
The documentary is set to premiere on Arte Channel on June 20th and will be available for streaming soon after with English and Spanish translations.
Arte is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plus two member companies acting as editorial and programme production centers, ARTE France in Paris and ARTE Deutschland in Baden-Baden.
For more information about the documentary, please contact Mikael Lefrançois at mlefrancois@tsvp-prod.com or contact La Isla Network using the contact form.
