^The Hand
That Feeds

Reviews

“Filmed with the urgency and suspense of a Hitchcock thriller.”

Diana Clark

The Village Voice

April 1, 2015

“Deftly edited for maximum suspense”

Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

March 6, 2015

“A crowd pleaser… a captivating David & Goliath story.”

Anthony Kaufman

Indiewire

April 9, 2014

“Effective”

Ben Kenigsberg

The New York Times

April 2, 2015

“A triumphal account of labor action”

Jack David Eller

Anthropology Review Database

June 23, 2016

“Highly recommended”

Rob Bohall

Educational Media Reviews Online

January 2, 2016

“Captures the adrenaline, uncertainties, and joys of an organizing campaign.”

Sonia Singh

LaborNotes

September 10, 2015

“This inspiring film will encourage discussions on minimum wage and labor practices.”

Candace Smith

Booklist Online

August 13, 2015

“Inspiring and relevant”

The Examiner

August 20, 2015

“A moving story… about people banding together for a common good, and about the value of strength and perseverance. That sounds awfully American.”

Tom Long

The Detroit News

August 21, 2015

“The hearts of all but the most fervent Ayn Rand–quoting investment bankers will swell”

Micah Uetricht

Jacobin / In These Times

June 30, 2015

“A powerfully emotional movie that moved the diverse audience of New Yorkers to tears”

Octavio Blanco

CNN Money

April 10, 2015

“It has a beautiful, low-key approach that earns its cheers and tears without resorting to the manipulative or dramatic tricks of a typical feature film.”

Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

April 3, 2015

“A tribute to American labor… socially conscious documentary filmmaking at its best.”

Peter Keough

The Boston Globe

March 14, 2015

“As rousing as it is seemingly implausible.”

Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

January 12, 2015

“You will never look at your deli server the same way again.”

Patricia Aufderheide

Center for Media & Social Impact

June 23, 2014

“A ‘Salt of the Earth’ for 2015 with a bagel shop instead of a zinc mine serving as the terrain of struggle. ‘The Hand that Feeds’ could not be better—a masterpiece”

Louis Proyect

Counterpunch

April 3, 2015

“The most hopeful political film of 2015”

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

April 16, 2015

“If there’s one documentary you want to put on your watch list, it’s this one.”

Rose Arrieta

El Tecolote

October 1, 2014

“The filmmakers are Brooklynites clearly at home with city life”

James O'Barr

Phillipstown.info

June 7, 2015

“An inspiring movie for anyone who likes rooting for the underdog, and one that’s especially great for anyone involved in the fight for an increased minimum wage.”

Shelby R. King

The Portland Mercury

May 13, 2015

“an inspiring, unique story of labor struggle with national implications”

Matt Surrosco

The Indypendent

May 12, 2015

“An intricate, humanizing portrait… anyone who cares about the rights of the people behind the counter should see it.”

Laura Bliss

CityLab

April 24, 2015

“Imagine my delight when I watched a documentary where I didn’t have to take notes; and I didn’t feel like I wanted to kill myself when it was over.”

Laura Steiner

Hollywood Progressive

April 12, 2015

“As ‘Fight for $15’ rallies kick off around the country…the documentary is now being used to inspire workers everywhere – especially at small businesses.”

Jana Kasperkevic

The Guardian

April 15, 2015

“To make a documentary this good, you have to be good filmmakers.”

KPCC FilmWeek

April 10, 2015

“Relevant anywhere there’s a wage earner, a business owner and a community organizer.”

Laura Gómez

La Voz

April 6, 2015

“Blotnick and Lears excellently merge the personal and political, but in a manner that never feels like it’s proselytizing.”

Kevin Jagernauth

Indiewire: The Playlist

April 3, 2015

“A fast and furious look into the plight of the working poor.”

John Esther

Jesther Entertainment

April 3, 2015

“A moving testament to the power of collective organizing”

Allegra Kirkland

AlterNet

April 3, 2015

“A rousing doc that hits close to home”

Time Out New York

April 2, 2015

“Engaging and inspiring from start to finish”

Bridget K. Presecky

The Hot Pink Pen

April 2, 2015

“A feel good movie of the year.”

Dustin Chang

Twitch Film

April 2, 2015

“An uplifting film”

Jen Chaney

The Dissolve

April 1, 2015

“An extremely emotional and inspiring story about the power of community”

Nicholas Ciccone

Stage Buddy

March 23, 2015

“How do you say Norma Rae in Spanish?”

Kam Williams

Sly Fox Film Reviews

March 28, 2015

“One could not view this film without arriving to a deeper understanding of labor organizing, immigrant workers, and the lessons of a sustained movement for social justice.”

Deborah Weissman, Professor of Law, University of North Carolina

March 9, 2015

“Absorbing…This is an inspiring film in a time when labor victories are all too few.”

Dr. Robin Leidner, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania

March 9, 2015

“Beautifully exposes the plight of undocumented workers in the food service industry and their struggle for dignity and a piece of the American Dream.”

Ruth Milkman, Professor of Sociology & Labor Studies, City University of New York

March 9, 2015

“Takes on an almost absurdist cat-and-mouse quality between management and a group of workers they so clearly underestimate.”

Nina Metz

Chicago Tribune

March 5, 2015

“An ode to class consciousness.”

David D'Arcy

Blouin Art Info

November 14, 2014

“Noteworthy.”

Stephen Holden

The New York Times

November 11, 2014

“An inspiring tale.”

Ian Gordan

Mother Jones

October 17, 2014

“An inspiring story.”

Ann Hornaday

The Washington Post

June 23, 2014

“A deeply humanizing look at the low-wage workers in the back of the house.”

Alicia Mazzara

DCist

June 20, 2014

“A tremendous film.”

Rachel Kurzius

Washington City Paper

June 20, 2014

“A necessary addition to the dialogue surrounding the issue of undocumented immigrants.”

Marisa M. Kashino

Washingtonian Magazine

June 12, 2014

“A powerful story that we don’t often see in movies.”

Chris Barsanti

PopMatters

November 18, 2014

“Scrappy, funny, and moving”

Isabella Leone

Students of the World

April 14, 2014

“An impassioned reminder that collective action is often the best way to fight the powers that be.”

Lewis Beale

News & Observer

March 29, 2014

“A documentary that Americans need to see.”

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

The Herald-Sun

March 26, 2014