Author archives: Joerg Markowitsch
Labour Struggles on Screen: Stéphane Brizé & Vincent Lindon’s Work Trilogy
Brizé’s gripping work trilogy—The Measure of a Man (2015), At War (2018), and Another World (2021)—all starring French powerhouse Vincent Lindon, stands as one of the most compelling cinematic explorations of labour markets in today’s capitalism. A discussion about his thought-provoking films in this forum has long been overdue.
„Is it worth the pay?“ – A German short film series about professions & money.
The short film series ‘Lohnt sich das?‘ (Is it worth the pay?) by Bayrischer Rundfunk (BR) offers support to teenagers and young adults in their future career choices, from glaziers to auditors, and entices viewers with the central question: How much do you actually earn?
Samurai of the loo
In Perfect Days (2023), Wim Wenders achieves the seemingly impossible. With the help of The Tokyo Toilet project and through the depiction of an antihero-hero, he crafts the ethos of a toilet cleaner.
The „Individual Responsibility“ Con
The beautiful, angry gig-economy comedy "Do not Expect Too Much from the End of the World" (2023, Radu Jude) doesn't have to look far for exploitative conditions in Bucharest, but finds them en-route in a production assistant's car.
Fisheries policy and the law of accidents at work
The series 'Blackport' (2021) virtuously works through a piece of Icelandic economic history surrounding the introduction of fishing quotas. Dramatic, amusing and at the same time educational, this microcosm reflects the ills of the wider world.
“Women in the Playpen”. Female Role Models and Swiss Vocational Education
A small but fine exhibition on Swiss author Iris von Roten at the Strauhof Literature Museum in Zurich, raises questions about inclusion and gender in Swiss vocational education - then and now.
(Un)responsible work — for us
"Living - once really living" (2022) is the British remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1952 classic "Ikiru". The film addresses a central theme of the working world: taking responsibility. Bill Nighy, perhaps in the role of his life, screenwriter Ishiguro and the film itself have been nominated for several British film awards.
Unfiltered working realities. The apprenticeship of a skilled canner
A critical look at archival vocational guidance films can sharpen one's view of major changes in the world of work and occupations. Making, taking a closer look at a Swiss television report on the apprenticeship of canners from the 1960s, worth it.
Dystopias of the working world
After more than a century, Katharina Gruzei's reinterpretation of the very first film in film history, ‘Workers Leaving the Factory’, shows a grim picture of the world of work and gives food for thought: Has the situation of workers deteriorated so much and what kind of worklife are we even heading towards?
Bossnapping à la Cantona
In the last two decades in particular, disputes between management and workers in France have become increasingly intense. The so-called "bossnapping", the hostage taking of management, masterfully staged by Éric Cantona in the Netflix series ‘Inhuman Resources’ (2020), provides a telling example.