History: Film, TV & Radio

Banned at the time of its initial release and made by blacklisted filmmakers, this bold, radical film tells the story of Mexican-American workers who call a strike over the unsafe work conditions and unequal wages they receive in comparison to their white co-workers at a Zinc mine in New Mexico.

Ramon Quintero (Juan Chacon) organizes the strike but is shown to be a hypocrite, treating his pregnant wife (Rosaura Revueltas) with similar unfairness. However, after an injunction keeps the men from their protest, the gender roles are reversed. As the women protest at the picket lines while the men stay at home, SALT OF THE EARTH makes glaringly clear the vital importance of women in the fight against inequality on intersecting fronts.

Chosen to be preserved by the National Film Preservation Board, USA. Winner of the Crystal Globe and Best Actress (Rosaura Revueltas) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

"The hard-focus, realistic quality of the picture's photography and style completes its characterization as a calculated social document." - Bosley Crowther, New York Times

"This remains a fascinating and powerful movie as well as a significant piece of celluloid history." - Brian Webster, Apollo Guide