Workingman's Death
Workingman's Death is a documentary by Michael Glawogger from the year 2005. It shows five examples of the heaviest physical labor under extreme conditions in different places of the earth.
Content
The film is divided into five episodes that play in Ukraine, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and China, and there are a number of different languages spoken: Pashto, Yoruba, German, English, Igbo, Indonesian, Mandarin and Russian. The film concludes with a brief epilogue in Duisburg, where a former steel plant is shown, from which the workers have already disappeared and has now transformed into a populated by young people amusement park.
The first episode entitled "Heroes " shows non-industrial Ukrainian coal miners in their work, as well as glimpses of their family environment. You also get to see a wedding. In this the monument of the famous miner Alexei Stakhanov there will be honored with bouquets.
In the second episode, " Ghosts ," Rick, drag the movie to Indonesia, where workers promote the active volcano Ijen sulfur and the heavy burden to crowded by tourists along mountain passes.
In the third episode, " lion ", you get to see an open-air slaughterhouse in Nigeria. This episode features the most impressive and also most horrific images of the film, a glimpse into a world of bloody crafts and toxic smoke.
The fourth episode shows welder in Pakistan, take apart huge decommissioned cargo ships from around the world far from their families. The title of " brothers " refers to the solidary relationship that develops between the men in her life-threatening work.
" Future" is the title of the last episode, are shown in the Chinese steel workers in their sweaty work. The workers express satisfaction about their work and are the future of the emerging People's Republic of China over optimistic. As a contrast, Chinese youth are interviewed who hold an old hero monument to fun and anachronistic.
In the sixth chapter of the film concludes with a contrast to the rest of the film epilogue, the western adolescents ( 17-21 years) in the Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord shows.
Awards (selection)
The camera work in these very different locales was extremely demanding and challenging. Among other things, for this feat Wolfgang Thaler was awarded the 2009 Marburg Camera price.
- European Film Awards 2005 Nominated for Best Documentary
- Price of FIPRESCI Jury, Leipzig, 2005
- The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award 2005 ( Best Documentary feature-length )
- Best Documentary at the Film Festival "Golden Apricot " 2006
- Price Innovative production performance at the film festival diagonal 2006
- German Film Award in 2007 for Best Documentary