All3Media International Boards Barbie’s Dirty Secrets: Dispatches

All3Media International has signed on to distribute the one-hour documentary Barbie’s Dirty Secrets: Dispatches internationally.

In the documentary, produced by ZANDLAND for Channel 5, journalist Isobel Yeung delves into the hidden world of Mattel, home to over 200 brands, including the beloved Barbie. While Barbie has been celebrated for its message of female empowerment, Yeung uncovers disturbing allegations about Mattel’s operations from its factory floors to its legal tactics.

“We are delighted to partner with ZANDLAND on Barbie’s Dirty Secrets,” said Amber Richardson, unscripted content executive at All3Media International. “This brand-new investigative documentary marks the third title we are representing from ZANDLAND’s slate, following The Secret World of Incels and our upcoming MIPCOM launch The Secret World of Looksmaxxing.”

“We’re incredibly proud to announce our latest doc, Barbie’s Dirty Secrets,” said Josh Reynolds, creative director at ZANDLAND. “It takes an important look at what goes on behind the scenes of a cultural phenomenon and holds power to account in a way ZANDLAND does best. It’s always great to have All3Media International distributing our films, and this will be the third one we’ve collaborated on.”

In the last four years, NGO China Labour Watch has twice sent investigators into a Mattel-owned factory in Dongguan, Southern China, that produces Barbies and other products. They found evidence of bullying, excessive overtime, sexual harassment and unsafe working environments. The documentary features footage from inside a Mattel factory, revealing the harsh realities faced by workers. The film captures the dangerous working conditions, with employees given no safety briefing and forced to handle scalding hot plastic for Barbies without proper protective gear; workers struggling with excessive production quotas; a Mattel manager threatening workers on the factory floor; workers forced to sign agreements for mandatory overtime; and more.

The footage was shown to to Thulsi Narayanasamy, director of international advocacy at the Worker Rights Consortium, an NGO that specializes in investigations into the supply chains of major corporations, who said the footage revealed “a workplace in which the workers themselves are being treated to be just as disposable as the dolls that they’re making. I think what the working conditions illustrate is that this pink and joy and female empowerment is nothing but a facade for the exploitative conditions in which the women that are making the dolls are having to live.”

Beyond the factory, Barbie’s Dirty Secrets: Dispatches also investigates how Mattel allegedly uses its legal might to intimidate small businesses and artists. In the past five years, the company has filed 268 cases against other businesses, claiming trademark infringement.

The film also delves into claims that the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper has been linked to the deaths of around 100 newborns. Mattel never launched the Rock ’n Play Sleeper in the U.K. because the Royal College of Midwives advised the company against it. Three years ago, U.S. lawmakers carried out an investigation into the tragedies.

Mattel provided a statement to ZANDLAND and Channel 4, commenting, “Mattel is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment and ensuring that all employees throughout the company, including at our manufacturing facilities, are treated fairly and respectfully. The company invests significant resources to support our employees and ensure their wellbeing.”

In regard to the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Sleeper, the statement read, “There is nothing more important than the safety of our products and the trust consumers place in us. Our hearts go out to every family who has suffered a loss. We voluntarily recalled the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper more than five years ago and have continued to work diligently to remove all existing product from the market since that time. This is although the facts show the product was safe when used in accordance with its instructions and warnings.”