“Make the struggle worth it”
In this episode of the Past Present Feature Podcast, hosted by Marcus Mizelle, Parsifal Reparato reflects on the long journey behind SHE: five years spent building trust with young migrant women working in Vietnam’s electronics manufacturing industry, often enduring 12-hour shifts in an atmosphere shaped by fear and silence.

“It started as research into labor rights.”

The film’s set, a black box inspired by Dogville and The Act of Killing, was conceived as a space for potential rebellion.
But something unexpected happened:

“I thought they would scream, destroy everything. Instead, they lay down together. Exhaustion became a political gesture.”

Parsifal also reflects on filmmaking as labor itself, the emotional toll of activist storytelling, and the responsibility of representing real lives on screen:

“Making films is work. And when you work with stories like these, you carry that weight with you.”

The conversation also touches on the editing process with Alice Roffinengo and on the film’s Locarno premiere, experienced as an act of responsibility toward the people portrayed.

Listen to the episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.
YT LINK
SPOTIFY LINK
APPLE PODCASTS LINK