The Golden Thread

A meditative and thought-provoking documentary that follows textile workers through a long workday, where filmmaker Nishtha Jain uniquely captures their lives and experiences.

The Golden Thread is a documentary about an ancient jute factory on the outskirts of Kolkata, India, and the people who work there. Director Nishtha Jain masterfully films these people throughout a workday, from early morning to late afternoon. It is filmed in a meditative and relaxing manner, and the first 16 minutes of the film are purely descriptive, without any dialogue. This allows the viewer to sit back and enjoy the film in its entirety.

This is a beautiful film that conveys a great deal with minimal tools. Filming a workplace in both small and large moments proves highly effective. The film portrays people and their environment, viewed through the lens of industrial history, globalism, labor, and slavery.

Selma Lou Reinhart

Director

Nishtha Jain is one of India's leading documentary filmmakers. She is known for critically acclaimed films such as Lakshmi and Me (2007), Gulabi Gang (2012), and The Golden Thread (2022). Her latest film, Farming the Revolution, won the award for Best International Documentary at Hot Docs in 2024.

This film is part of