There are few better places than a warehouse in the middle of nowhere to illustrate the impact of the online shopping revolution and the overlap of social and financial precarity. In On Falling, Portuguese migrant Aurora struggles to survive week after week somewhere in Scotland – and to cope with loneliness. As a “picker,” she races along endless shelves while her work performance is relentlessly monitored. A chocolate bar is offered as a reward for exceptional performance. During a company tour, a schoolchild tosses her a candy. Welcome to the labor cage of the gig economy.
Director Laura Carreira draws on her own migration experiences in her feature debut. The protagonist is portrayed by the equally understated and outstanding Joana Santos. With her keen sensitivity to social issues, Carreira is on the verge of taking up the mantle of Ken Loach as chronicler of the new generation of workers. (JM)
Another screening of the film will take place after the festival on Saturday, May 24, also at Stadtkino.

Austrian Premiere