“ALL PEOPLE FREE” – SHINING A LIGHT ON THE INVISIBLE VICTIMS OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN BRICK KILNS
Acclaimed artivist and filmmaker Duda Penteado presents All People Free, a powerful short documentary that exposes the little-known yet devastating reality of modern-day slavery in brick kiln factories across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. With over 20 million people trapped in forced labor—nearly half of them children—this film is a call to justice and a catalyst for global change.
This 10-minute documentary, designed for film festivals and community screenings, gives voice to survivors, unpacks the complexities of this global crisis, and exposes the deep connection between exploitation in brick kilns and broader economic systems and instability. By spotlighting sustainable solutions and collective action, All People Free seeks to galvanize audiences to take meaningful steps toward ending modern slavery.
Produced by Unshakeable Productions, the film presents a deeply moving visual narrative that brings attention to the unimaginable suffering endured by families working under inhumane conditions in the brick-making industry. Through intimate storytelling and firsthand accounts, All People Free sheds light on a human rights crisis that remains largely hidden from the world’s view.
“It’s impossible to fully grasp the suffering endured by victims of labor trafficking—but Duda’s film refuses to let us look away. Children live hidden in the shadows of brick kilns—enslaved, forgotten. Now that the truth is visible, silence is complicity. We must act. No one is free until everyone is free.”
— Ben Nichols, Founder and President of the Board, All People Free
“This film is not just about raising awareness it’s about igniting a movement to eradicate modern slavery,” says Duda Penteado. “The voices of those trapped in this brutal system must be heard—and we must act to end this barbaric practice.”
Featuring collaborations with frontline organizations and global human rights advocates, All People Free offers an unfiltered look at the daily struggles of enslaved workers while also highlighting efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and empower victims of this crime against humanity.
The film is set to premiere at select film festivals and community events, followed by panel discussions featuring human rights experts, policymakers, and the film’s creative team.
For more information, visit: https://allpeoplefree.org/
Director Biography - Duda Penteado is a visual artist, multi-award winning filmmaker, educator and cultural visionary, who has lived between the United States and Brazil for more than 20 years. His multidisciplinary practice is based on performances, videos, installations, murals, sculptures, paintings and other visual artistic manifestations. Duda has dedicated much of his work to important social issues related to racial injustice, cultural identity, globalization, and other geopolitical and social phenomena of the 21st century. He has had many exhibitions at galleries, cultural institutions and museums throughout the United States and Brazil, as well as Europe.
Duda's work cannot be relegated to solely a movement or a particular country. It is clearly the art of a global thinker. What you will experience as you get to know more of Duda and his artwork, is the art of an intellectual, a visual pedagogy of the highest order, attempting to steer the culture with his art by setting the stage for communities to engage in local and international dialogue on essential human concerns.
As co-founder of Unshakeable Productions, Duda Penteado brings his unique contribution and vision to the company. Coming from a fine art background, his approach to film encompasses a profound creative process of the moving image.
