Author: Emma Parker
Writer, activist and filmmaker Saul Landau visited campus Wednesday, April 18 for the screening of his documentary “We Don’t Play Golf Here and Other Stories of Globalization.” This was the film’s first screening in Los Angeles, and it is the third of a trilogy that addresses the effects of globalization in Mexico.
Before the film was shown, Politics Professor and Chair of the Urban and Environmental Policy Department Peter Dreier introduced Landau and his numerous accomplishments. Landau then spoke of his recent focus on globalization in Mexico and the effects of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
His film takes a critical stance on NAFTA and presents “a collection of little stories that are about the globalization of Mexico” in an effort to raise awareness of the negative effects of globalization on many Mexicans, especially those living in border towns. It also addresses the economic and environmental consequences of multinationals and corporations in Mexico.
“We Don’t Play Golf Here” opens with an explanation of the film’s title. In one Mexican town, there were plans for a golf course to be built. The townspeople protested this building project and one citizen explained that the pesticides from the golf course would pollute the water system, which could lead to disease and genetic deformities. The golf course was never built. “We just didn’t let them win,” he proudly explained.
The other stories featured in the film were not as uplifting. One addressed the deforestation of Guerrero and the unwelcome presence of U.S. multinationals. Ecologists and activists protested this deforestation by preventing transport trucks for US companies from entering their town. The Mexican army arrived, and fighting ensued. “I only want to take care of our forests for future generations,” one activist said.
The next story talked about the environmental impact of a multinational company that dumped waste and “dangerous residues.” There are many chemicals involved in the production of goods, and in one Mexican town, these chemicals contaminated the water supply and led to health problems for workers. “High risk factories were put up near our homes,” one worker said. Despite many requests for the cleanup of these materials after the company left, the acid, lead and other chemicals still remain.
In the following story, Landau addressed multinationals’ impact on farming. Again, there were toxins in the water supply, so farmers were forced to purchase their food. “Crops were no longer edible,” one farmer said.
“We Don’t Play Golf Here” then moved onto the issue of employment. The film presented Americans of Mexican descent working in El Paso who lost their jobs when a Levi Strauss factory moved south of the Mexican-American border to employ Mexicans for lower wages. “The current economic system is dependent on people not being able to cross borders,” one official said regarding NAFTA and its effects on employment.
The film then flashed back to the first story of the attempted establishment of a golf resort. The same townsperson spoke more about the sport of golf, comparing it to soccer, which is much more widely played throughout Mexico. Golf is an “artificial sport”, whereas soccer is the sport of “working class Mexicans,” he said. Golf is expensive and for only a few people at once, while soccer is “the most democratic sport in the world,” the townsperson said. Soccer is the “sport of survivors” and golf is the “sport of the satisfied.”
Landau’s documentary finished with clips of Mexican sociologists and government workers explaining how multinationals view Mexico. They “see the country as a business or corporation, not a nation,” one said. “If it doesn’t sell, it’s trash,” another said. One sociologist stated that “capitalism is irrational,” but with NAFTA in place, people in Mexico have to join in to make a living. “There is a struggle everyday for justice as Mexico becomes globalized,” a sociologist said.
After the film, Landau expanded on some points raised and explained the objectives of “We Don’t Play Golf Here.” “It’s designed to get people involved. Your life is much more interesting if you’re involved!” he said.
He then talked about his personal experiences filming the documentary, including how a member of his camera crew and he got sick because of the chemicals produced by American factories. Landau pointed out that former President Clinton put $20 million into border cleanup, but not even $1 million of these funds have been spent.
He went on to discuss how many Mexicans, especially those of Native American descent, are “desperate to maintain their culture.” He summed up multinationals’ effects on the preservation of Native American culture, lamenting that a Wal-Mart had been constructed in the shadows of Aztec pyramids.
Landau also explained that for hundreds of years Mexico had been producing its own corn, but as a result of NAFTA it is now the largest importer of corn from the U.S. Lastly, he expressed hope that conditions may improve if a Democratic candidate is elected this coming November who is willing to revise NAFTA.
Along with this trilogy of films about globalization in Mexico, Landau has written 15 books and has made more than 50 documentary films – many of which have won awards – about topics such as the Black Panthers, Iraq and Fidel Castro.
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