magiclantern_

*ANNOUNCEMENT - PLEASE FOLLOW our new Twitter account @MagicLantern_ for updates on our newest films. We will be deleting this account in the next few weeks.*

We were honored to screen our short doc Seattle's Bikini Baristas at the Tacoma International Film Festival last fall. In this video from the Q&A panel, director Benjamin Nolot explains what it was like observing the male clientele that frequent the bikini barista coffee scene.

Rating and reviewing our films is a great way to support our work. If you've seen Liberated, Seattle's Bikini Baristas, or Existence we'd love it if you could take a few minutes to submit a review so that the visibility of these films can continue to grow. Thank you so much!

In this moving clip from our short doc Seattle's Bikini Baristas, one barista expresses genuine uncertainty about ever being able to trust a man not to view women as sexual objects.

If a barista feels that she can't tell customers "no" then this implies that they are expected to endure sexual harassment as part of the job, because turning away a customer would be turning away a profit. Seattle's Bikini Baristas is now available on YouTube. Link in bio.

On the surface, this looks like an ordinary drive-thru coffee stand. What you don't see is the sexual harassment baristas regularly experience from the men driving up to these stands. Learn more about this unsettling trend by watching Seattle's Bikini Baristas on YouTube today.

We visited Pike Place Market to ask locals in Seattle what they thought of the bikini barista coffee shop scene. The women acknowledged that this trend primarily appeals to men, further revealing that what's being sold at these stands is the objectification of women's sexuality.

After experiencing regular sexual advances and inappropriate behavior from her male customers, the bikini barista in this clip explains how that's affected her view of men overall. Watch the full doc on YouTube today.

In his book, "Directing the Documentary," Michael Rabiger said that "interviewing can either create a liberating arena for discovery and growth or become intrusion and exploitation of that participant." We were honored to receive this feedback in light of Rabiger's philosophy.

This shot of a coffee stand featured in Seattle's Bikini Baristas is a telling example of how a woman's sex appeal is the core part of their marketing strategy. Stands like this one have become pervasive, with over 100 stands in the Seattle area alone.

We originally went to #Seattle to investigate the bikini barista coffee scene as part of a larger film on the sexual culture of America, but after talking with scores of baristas and shop owners there, we realized that there was a culture of rampant #sexualharassment.

In this deleted scene from Seattle's Bikini Baristas, Gianna walks us through her usual beauty routine. She told us that they're expected to buy new outfits every day which, as you'll see in the clip, adds up to an exorbitant amount of money. Watch the full doc on YouTube.

Poignant words from Seattle's Bikini Baristas director @BenjaminNolot. Watch and share the full documentary on YouTube today!

The baristas we spoke with for our latest doc, Seattle's Bikini Baristas, described instances in which customers made aggressive sexual advances—all of which is defined by federal and state law as workplace sexual harassment. Watch Seattle's Bikini Baristas on YouTube today.

The barista in this clip from our doc, Seattle's Bikini Baristas, reveals that she was hired on the basis of her physical appearance, and that it's the baristas' sex appeal that drives profits. But are those profits worth the normalization of sexual harassment that happens there?

BTS// Seattle's Bikini Baristas. This 10-minute short doc exposes how female "bikini baristas" struggle with the troublesome and inappropriate behavior of their male clientele, and the way in which sexual harassment is essentially part of the job. Watch on YouTube today!

It's not surprising that some men prefer to have their coffee served by scantily-clad young women. It's also not surprising that sexual harassment is running rampant at these #bikinibarista coffee stands. Our latest doc, Seattle's Bikini Baristas, premieres TOMORROW on YouTube!

If it's socially acceptable for #bikinibaristas to endure sexual harassment without consequence, what does that mean for the rest of society? As our Director Benjamin Nolot has said, "The #sexualharassment of women anywhere, has consequences for women everywhere."

In this clip from our film #SeattlesBikiniBaristas, a coffee shop owner explains the "dress code", revealing that sex appeal is what he expects. Talking with baristas we discovered that the behavior they endured from male customers fit the legal definition of #sexualharassment.

Our new documentary short, "Seattle's Bikini Baristas," premieres this Friday on YouTube at 1 PM PST! Behind the intrigue of lingerie and java lurks a darker side, where female "bikini baristas" struggle with the troublesome and inappropriate behavior of their male clientele.