Cybernetic Chains: Exploitation and Identity in a Maquiladoras Dystopia of Sleep Dealer by Alex Rivera
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The study aimed to explore the politics depicted in the science fiction film Sleep Dealer (2008), directed by Alex Rivera, through the critical lens of Cyberpunk. The objective of the study was to elucidate exploitation, corporate dominance, and resistance within a dystopian framework, as portrayed in the fictional setting of Sleep Dealer. The study was a qualitative, inductive and interdisciplinary research. The significance of the critical work lies in its exploration of how labour is outsourced through cybernetic connections using automated measures, creating a new form of maquiladoras-factories where workers are exploited through digital means. It also examined the dehumanising effects of cybernetic labour and the erosion of personal identity under capitalist subjugation. The scarcity of scholarly research on the cybernetic exploitation of labour has prompted this study. Future researchers may explore the multifaceted effects of nodes and digital workspaces on the well-being of the cyber-proletariat explored in the film. References Ahmed, N., Jawaid, A., Kaur, P., & Khalid, R. (2018). Dictionary using habits of electrical engineering students in Lahore, Pakistan. Language in India, 18(3). https://www.languageinindia.com Alex Rivera Biography. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1642796/ Alex Rivera, Filmmaker and Media Artist. (2021). MacArthur Explorer. https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2021/alex-rivera Cordero, R. (2021, February 9). Alex Rivera set to write and direct Zorro 2.0. Deadline. https://deadline.com Cravey, A., Hite, C., & Wilson, R. (2015). Imagining the future from the margins: Cyborg labour in Alex Rivera's Sleep Dealer. GeoJournal, 80(6), 849–863. https://doi.org/xxxx Crawford, M. (n.d.). What is Cyberpunk: History, examples and overview. Exploring the Genre. (n.d.). What is Cyberpunk? Vestesta. Jawaid, A., Batool, M., Arshad, W., Ikram ul Haq, M., Kaur, P., & Sanaullah, S. (2025). AI-driven enhancement of English language learning for underperforming students through customized ESP and OBE-aligned strategies. Manuscript in preparation. Knegt, P. (2009, April 17). A dazzling journey: Alex Rivera’s Sleep Dealer. IndieWire. https://www.indiewire.com Kushnarov, V. (2023). Cyberpunk as a metacultural movement. MacArthur Explorer. (2021). Alex Rivera, filmmaker and media artist. Marx, K. (1844). Economic and philosophic manuscripts. Mili, A., & F.S. (2024). Introducing your loved ones to Cyberpunk: Exploring the genre and digital literacy activities. Chapters and Chains. Murphy, N. (2023, May 5). Alex Rivera talks Sleep Dealer. MovieMaker. https://www.moviemaker.com Rabahi, M., Yusof, H., Awang, M., & Jawaid, A. (2020). Strategic considerations for kindergartens in leading learning of Orang Asli students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(7), 559–570. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i7/7495 Raza, M., Jawaid, A., & Ikram ul Haq, M. (2018). The effect of interventions on quality-adjusted life years (QALY) of dialysis patients. Gomal University Journal of Research, 34(2), 73–79. http://www.gujr.com.pk/index.php/GUJR/article/view/233 Rivera, A. (2008). Sleep Dealer [Film]. Starlight Film Finance. Rivera, A. (n.d.). With Sleep Dealer, I wanted to put one of our world's true outsiders—a migrant worker—at the centre of the story. [Interview/statement]. Rocha, J. (2022). Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera, through each other’s eyes. Latino USA. Ruiz, D., García, S., & Mendoza, A. (2019). By radical means necessary. University of California Press. Scott, A. O. (2009, April 17). Tales of an anxious wanderer. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com Silverman, J. (2008, April 14). Injects sci-fi into the immigration debate. Wired. https://www.wired.com Smith, R. (2016). Cyber-proletariat: Global labour in the digital Vortex. Labour/Le Travail, 78, 381–383. https://doi.org/xxxx Sterling, B. (1986). Mirrorshades: The cyberpunk anthology. Arbour House. (Replace if Britannica article is intended) Turan, K. (2009, April 17). A nightmare that looks all too real. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com Witherford, N. D. (2015). Cyber-proletariat: Global labour in the digital Vortex. Pluto Press.
Authors: Faizan Ali, Maryam Raza
Institution: University of the Punjab
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414585404
FWCI:
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