Working. It's what most of us do for half our waking lives. It's how we feed and clothe ourselves and how we support our families. It shapes our sense of who we are, and of where we fit in the scheme of things.

Working is also what connects us. Almost everything around us is the product of human labor—much of it performed in faraway places, by people we will never meet.

Each month, WORKING brings us into the life of a single worker in the global economy. Intimate profiles of real people with real families, real struggles, real dreams, and real jobs.

Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen

Job:

Movie Director
Location:

Lagos, Nigeria
Nickname:

The Governor
Income:

About $10,000/film
Dream:

To build his own studio

Nigeria's "Nollywood" movie industry is less than two decades old, but it's already the third most productive in the world. Nollywood videos have become an entertainment staple — and a source of pride — for Africans everywhere. With little government support, daily power failures, no real studios, and the most rudimentary equipment, Nigerian filmmakers must be artists, entrepreneurs, and masters of making do. That describes Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen. At 37, the man known as "The Governor" has already directed more than 150 films. And every single one has been a struggle.

Past Stories

Upcoming Story

Mohmen left his village at 13 and quickly found work stacking animal skins in one of Karachi's leather factories. At 17 he's still doing the same job. Sometimes, he feels caught in a loop: the longer he works, the deeper his debt. The older he gets, the more his parents rely on his income. His boss says he's a good kid?smart, hard-working, easy to get along with. But with no education, Mohmen's gone about as far as he can go. "I've made my peace with poverty," he says.

Do you know a remarkable worker we should profile? The job must be outside the United States, and teach us something about our globalizing world.

Work connects us all. Tell us about yours and we will connect you to other workers around the world.