Cinematic portrayals of traditional work environments are dwindling in popularity.
Werk, Job, or Grind: The Shifting Landscape of Labor on Celluloid
For seven days, cinematic scenes of work, profession, and education took over the screens at City Cinema Vienna. Crafting this diverse lineup wasn’t easy, admits Jörg Markowitsch, the festival's brainchild. "These festivals have been around for years, scattered everywhere. For a city like Vienna, it was about damn time." After all, labor, learning, and culture hold a rich tradition in this city, notes the labor market and education researcher.
But it seems work is increasingly fading from the silver screen. Film expert and festival curator Christoph A. Büttner has an explanation.
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In film studies, opinions about work's significance vary. "Some say it plays no role at all, while others see it everywhere," explains Büttner. Characters usually have jobs, but the nitty-gritty details like work hours, company structures, or actual duties are hardly ever explored. "We see cops, docs, firefighters—but do we know precisely what they do? What their day-to-day looks like?" asks the scholar. Office paperwork, for instance, is absent from police shows, even if it consumes a significant part of the job.
Why does the job itself rarely make it to the screen? Büttner attributes it to lack of interest, both for filmmakers and viewers. The drama of interpersonal relationships is more captivating, claims the researcher, citing examples like fires, rescues, or (in the corporate world) sensational scandals, corporate intrigue, and power struggles.
The same reasoning applies to Markowitsch regarding the decline of labor films. "In our service-driven society, visual appeal is harder to achieve when it comes to desk jobs and supermarket shifts." Witnessing Charlie Chaplin tumble on machines is a relic of the past, while office work is rather dull on screen. The same goes for jobs at checkout counters and warehouse positions.
Büttner notes that conversations about work are frequently dressed up as comedies to make them more palatable. "The genre offers itself to treat work questions with a light touch without being too scathing." Series like "The Office," "Superstore," or "Die Discounter" are examples. Regardless of their portrayal, experts agree that more representations of professions are urgently needed.
Framing the Workplace in Silver and Celluloid
"Films have a keen eye for what's happening in the world of work," says Büttner. Earlier iterations depicted class struggles and heavy manual labor, while current depictions focus on a volatile economy, work stress, isolation, strict workplaces, and the shifting of job models. "These portrayals impact how we perceive work in the end," he concludes.
Artist Susi Rogenhofer offers further insights. Her installations and audiovisual stagings emphasize the "invisible" workers. Rogenhofer collaborates with artists to put the spotlight on employees: work is transformed into images, sounds, and stories that shed light on various work environments and realities. "We see products, but not the people behind them. The workers—quickly reduced to a number in the cost calculation, their human needs are pushed aside," she says. "But they are vital in the world of work—and they deserve to be heard and seen." She observes that work has become more important in the art world once again. "At the beginning of the 20th century, art was swimming in work. And now it's coming back because society has hit its limit." Inspired by the Russian avant-garde, which celebrated workers, she creates videos and presents them in public spaces. "Representation is appreciation," she asserts.
Büttner concurs: "These portrayals have an impact on how we perceive jobs in the end." Films also serve as role models.
Workplace Portrayals: A Catalyst for Change
Markowitsch's film festival idea stemmed from a pedagogical and educational policy focus. He aimed to inspire apprentices for the topic. "If you want to strengthen their democratic awareness and foster more involvement in work and society, you need to meet them where they are active—in the representation of their work." Markowitsch collaborated with apprentices from the hospitality, food retail, and baking sectors. He asked them how they perceived these representations, what they'd like to alter, and where they'd begin.
A film that particularly inspired the young people was the biographical drama "Dessert Stars" about Yazid Ichemrahen, a young pastry chef who succeeded despite numerous obstacles. "Many of them already struggle: they find it difficult to find apprenticeships and often find themselves at the bottom of the occupational and educational hierarchy. Films about people who had it similarly tough and still made it are all the more inspiring."
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Films
Metropolis (1927): A futuristic city separates upper-class dwellers from grunt workers, causing a revolt.
Modern Times (1936): Charlie Chaplin grapples with the challenges of the industrial work world.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940): A family searches for work and a livelihood during the Great Depression.
On the Waterfront (1954): It's all about the exploitation and silence of dock workers under corrupt power structures.
Goodbye, Norma Jean (1976): Norma Jean's (later known as Marilyn Monroe) journey from grueling work to Hollywood fame.
9 to 5 (1980): Three office workers fight against their sexist boss and office injustices.
Wall Street (1987): A young stockbroker wrestles with the choice between career ambition and moral code.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013): A stockbroker makes millions with questionable practices and becomes lost in greed, power, and excess.
Learning to Drive (2015): A pensioner finds meaning and new connections through an internship at a startup.
The Big Short (2015): Several financial experts recognize the housing bubble early and profit from a system on the brink of collapse.
Movies
Toni Erdmann (2016): A stressed consultant reconnects with the human side of work through her unconventional father.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017): A grieving mother uses billboards to push authorities to address an unsolved crime in a struggling town.
In the Gangs (2018): A warehouse worker cultivates trust and camaraderie in the mundane tasks of supermarket work.
Nomadland (2020): A widowed drifter survives economic turmoil with precarious, odd jobs.
Dessert Stars (2023): A young man battles the demanding kitchen work of a high-end restaurant and discovers his culinary talent.
Perfect Days (2023): A man finds satisfaction in the routine of cleaning public toilets in Tokyo and the beauty of everyday life.
On Falling (2024): A warehouse picker grapples with isolation, surveillance, and precarious working conditions.
Series
The Office US (2005): An eccentric group of office workers experience absurd routines, personal conflicts, and humor in their daily grind.
Good Wife (2009) Superstore (2015): Employees navigate low wages, corporate nonsense, and camaraderie in the retail world.
Good Girls (2018): Three underpaid mothers turn to crime out of necessity to break free from financial and career constraints.
Die Discounter (2021): Young employees cope with hectic workdays, bosses, and precarious conditions at a discount store.
Severance (2022): Employees surgically separate their work and personal lives.
The Pitt (2025): Doctors confront burnout while exploring their calling and personal boundaries in the hospital environment.
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Behind the Scenes
Historical Evolution: Early cinema often depicted workers in stereotypical roles, reinforcing notions of labor as menial or unskilled. As the labor movement gained momentum, films began to reflect workers' struggles and triumphs, highlighting issues like inequality and solidarity.
Modern Portrayal: Increasingly, viewers are seeking more nuanced depictions of work, family, caregiving, and gender equity on screen. Research suggests that a significant portion of viewers are interested in seeing realistic representations of work-life balance and social issues.
Impact on Perceptions: Films have the potential to shape public perceptions of work by providing diverse narratives, either reinforcing stereotypes or challenging them, promoting empathy and understanding among audiences.
Cultural Representation: The representation of work in films can reveal cultural norms and values, with films from different national cinemas highlighting unique labor conditions or cultural attitudes towards work.
Influence on Policy and Culture: By portraying work in a particular light, films can influence cultural narratives and, indirectly, policy discussions. For example, films focusing on labor rights issues can contribute to broader conversations about workers' welfare and social justice.
- The series, "The Office US," and "Superstore" portray the day-to-day lives of workers in retail and corporate environments, showcasing their camaraderie and enduring low wages.
- Movies like "Dessert Stars" and "Perfect Days" delve into various work environments, such as high-end restaurants and public toilets, offering insights into the lives of people who often remain unseen and underappreciated.
