Press and Reviews
FILM REVIEWS
Film director talks about coming-of-age story featuring Latina teen in mixed-status family
director emily cohen Ibañez discusses fruits of labor, working with ashely Pavon, and her desire to tell a coming-of-age story that focused on a young woman of color.
Film festival returns with story of a mixed-status family working in California’s strawberry fields
“‘Fruits of Labor’ intimately illustrates the complexities of working multiple jobs and finishing school, all while trying to keep up with teenage traditions such as planning a quinceañera.”
‘Fruits of Labor’ Review: A Mexican American Family’s Struggles in Central California
“Emily Cohen Ibanez’s debut feature provides a flavorful glimpse at lives seldom represented in popular media…”
— Variety
El fruto de un trabajo en tierra de nadie
Cohen presenta imágenes oníricas, con la voz de Ashley dando el toque lírico y la historia que una y otra vez necesita volver a contarse. Un documento visual que vale la pena verse.
What's worth seeing? 16 SXSW movies to look out for
“Emily Cohen Ibañez’s documentary doesn’t scream. “Fruits of Labor” is a gentle and lovely thing, but the fear at its heart is so prosaic and constant that your heart can’t help but crack.”
SXSW 2021 Review: ‘Fruits of Labor’ is One Girl’s Wish
“Putting a Latina on the center of this production really helps to explore the ways in which Latina women are the backbone of many Latino families. They are strong, hardworking and often help to support the whole family, and sometimes the extended family. This documentary gives them the attention they need.”
Review: Fruits of Labor (2021)
“Sweet, engaging and straightforward to what it intends to show, Fruits of Labor is a film that comes out as inspirational and essential to the world and that may intice some discussions about how ethical it is to take advantage of desperate immigrants in the USA and forcing them to work extraordinary hours to forge a new life and path for themselves,”
SXSW 2021 Doc Spotlight: “Fruits of Labor”, “The Hunt for Planet B”, “Mau”, “Alien on Stage”
“Fruits of Labor has a conscious understanding of the different pressures facing immigrant Latinx communities in America that make advancement and progress difficult, from being part of the only industry (farming) that still uses child labor, to the constant threat of ICE crackdowns, and economic instability that stifles affordability of any recreational expenses.”
Fruits of Labor – Review by Carol Cling
"Fruits of Labor delivers a frequently moving portrait of personal growth — and undeniable food for thought."
— Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Fruits of Labor Review — At The Movies
“The quiet, intimate film settles down on the focus of a flower or animal (like a turtle) or even the protagonist’s shoes … Everything encompasses the family life Ashley deals with daily.”
Doc Corner: Emily Cohen Ibañez’s 'Fruits of Labor'
“Where Fruits of Labor really shines is in how it so compassionately tells the story of this one family … its to be commended, finding moments of grace in Ashley’s world within the hardships.”
INTERVIEWS
CLACLS CUNY: Interview with Director Emily Cohen Ibañez
Interview with Dr. Ismael García-Colón, Professor of Anthropology at CUNY
Beyond Resilience: Collaborating with Documentary Protagonists
Firelight Media Conversation — Winter 2022
Bright Lights Film Series Interview With Director Emily Cohen Ibañez
Bright Lights Fall 2021 Panels
Nuestra Tele Internacional NTN24 (Colombia) Interview with Director Emily Cohen Ibañez
Interview (en español) with Alfonso Díaz of Colombia’s NTN24
Native Filmmaker Initiative Film Club Q&A with Emily Cohen Ibañez and Ashley Pavon
Big Sky Film Festival
Agriculture, Labor, & the Next Generation: An Inside View with Filmmaker Emily Cohen Ibañez
Interview with John Lightfoot, California Humanities Senior Program Officer and Emily, discussing the film; available to read on California Humanities - Read here.
In New Documentary, the Realities of the American Food System Are Laid Bare
Emily Baron Cadloff’s interview with Emily, discussing Fruits of Labor; available to read on Modern Farmer - Read here.
‘Fruits of Labor’ Provides an Intimate Look at the Life of a Teenage Farmworker
s.e. smith’s interview with Emily, discussing Fruits of Labor; available to read on Civil Eats - Read here.
San Diego Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2022: Q&A with Emily Cohen Ibañez
Instagram Live Q&A with Jennifer Nedbalsky, Deputy Director at Human Rights Watch Film Festival and FRUITS OF LABOR director, producer, cinematographer and co-writer Emily Cohen Ibañez - Watch here
NPR: New documentary highlights the struggles of teenage farmworkers in California
Ailsa Chang's interview with Emily and Ashley, discussing Fruits of Labor on NPR’s All Things Considered - Listen here
LatinEQUIS: ‘Fruits of Labor,’ The Coming of Age Story About a Teen Farmworker
Podcast interview with Emily and Ashley, discussing the film; available to stream online and via podcast apps everywhere. Listen here.
POV Watch Club: After Show
PBS - Watch here
2021 SXSW & Nō Studios
Taped conversation via Zoom with Emily, Ashley and moderated Holly Herrick. Watch here.
Emily Cohen Ibanez on FRUITS OF LABOR and Agricultural Child Labor (SXSW21) – Sarah Knight Adamson Interviews
Alliance of Women Film Journalists - Watch here.
SXSW 2021 Women Directors: Meet Emily Cohen Ibáñez – “Fruits of Labor”
Women and Hollywood - Watch here.
Emily Cohen Ibañez Elevates Voice of Young Latina Farmworker in ‘Fruits of Labor’
Remezcla - Read here.
The Checkout Radio Podcast: Emily Cohen Ibañez and ‘Fruits of Labor’
The Checkout Ep. 95 - Listen here.
Film School Radio: ‘Fruits of Labor’ with Director Emily Cohen Ibañez
Taped conversation with host Mike Kaspar in Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America - Listen here.
Faux Reel Podcast: ‘Fruits of Labor’ with Emily Cohen Ibañez
Podcast interview with Emily; available to stream online and via podcast apps - Listen here.