Machines Finland, Germany, India 2016 – 71min.

Movie Rating

Machines

Adrien Kuenzy
Movie Rating: Adrien Kuenzy

Documentary about a textile factory in the Indian state of Gujarat, with a look at the entire process of fabric manufacturing – intolerable for workers – from machine supervision to the use of toxic products.

The movie is punctuated by long shots showing the worker’s daily lives. At the heart of the factory are the people, their strength, who must become one with the entire machinery. The workers therefore adapt to the rhythm of the machines that set tempo the beat, as the audience sits horrified by the inhumane conditions inside a place where light is scarce. The film's great strength lies in its mix of scenes of work, of the repetitive action that is slowly but surely killing the workers, and the brief interviews with them on camera, precious moments offer the freedom of the spoken word. Machines paints a powerful portrait of dehumanized physical labor within a context where the employee is ignored by management. Because communication between the different levels seems impossible and their physical effort is extreme, it is difficult for these people to defend themselves... Their testimony therefore takes on real importance.

03.04.2024

4

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