El Contrato

{{Short description|2003 Canadian documentary film}}

{{Infobox film

| name = El Contrato

| image =

| caption =

| director = Min Sook Lee

| producer = Karen King-Chigbo

| writer = Min Sook Lee

| music = Edgardo Moreno

| cinematography = David Patrick
John Westheuser

| editing = Katharine Asals

| studio = National Film Board of Canada

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2003|9|24|Bloor Cinema}}

| runtime = 52 minutes

| country = Canada

| language = English
Spanish

| budget =

}}

El Contrato (lit. "The Contract") is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Min Sook Lee and released in 2003.Christopher Hutsul, "Migrant workers suffer in Ontario; Lack of support moved filmmaker to make documentary Mexican towns also suffer as men leave for eight months". Toronto Star, September 24, 2003. The film portrays the harsh living conditions of exploited migrant workers from Mexico who are working as farm labourers in Leamington, Ontario.Vik Kirsch, "Migrant workers decry 'slavery'". Guelph Mercury, October 18, 2004.

The film premiered at the Bloor Cinema on September 24, 2003,Jennifer Bain, "Ontario's 'invisible' workforce The hands of harvest; More than 14,000 Mexican and Caribbean labourers come here each year to tend to our farms A documentary exploring Ontario's 'invisible workforce' premieres tonight". Toronto Star, September 24, 2003. but the farmers depicted in the film issued a SLAPP suit which delayed the film's wider release.Sharon Hill, "Film angers greenhouse operators". Windsor Star, September 25, 2003. After the lawsuit was cleared, the film received further film festival screenings in 2004, before being broadcast by TVOntario on January 12, 2005.Bill Currie, "TVO film will focus on plight of Mexican farm workers". St. Catharines Standard, December 28, 2004.

Lee subsequently returned to the theme of migrant workers in her 2016 film Migrant Dreams, which centred on similar exploitation of Indonesian temporary migrant workers.{{Cite journal|url=http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/pov-profile-min-sook-lee|title=POV Profile: Min Sook Lee |last=Jacobs|first=Jonas|date=May 1, 2016|journal=Point of View}}