LABOUR EQUALS FREEDOM
Slovenia, 2005, 71 minutes, Colour.
Peter Musevski, Natasa Barbara Gracner.
Directed by Damjan Kozole.
Since the 1990s, the Slovenian film industry has been building up. The previous film by director, Damjan Kozole, was a hard-hitting look at the fate of exploited migrants to Western Europe. This time his focus is at home, in the city of Ljubljana - although he is making comment on the economic repercussions of Slovenia's becoming a member of the European Union. Factories are closed. Machinists lose their jobs. The social and psychological consequences of unemployment, especially marriage breakdown, are the themes of this very effective 71 minute feature which was completed in only six weeks.
It is not that there is anything new. The topics are familiar. However, Damjan Kozole, is a strong film-maker and his cast are excellent, especially Peter Mujsevski as Pero, the middle-aged married man, father of a daughter, who has been laid off.
Peter looks like your very ordinary worker type (think Ernest Borgnine as the butcher, Marty). But he is a good man, faithful and loving, a man who does not deserve this fate. He suffers loss of self-esteem, depression and is unable to provide for the comforts his working wife expects. It is she who breaks up the marriage.
Actually, the film offers some hope. Fate takes another turn and smiles on Pero - and he looks up the personals in the paper and meets a simple, good-hearted widow. That is where it ends, not in feeling dismal but with hope in a realistically difficult world.
1. A slice of life in Slovenia, in the city? Ordinary life, problems? Local and national problems, problems of belonging to the European Union?
2. A small film, the focus on the city and its environment, the countryside and its beauty? Homes, pubs, job locations? The musical score?
3. The film not showing anything new – but showing it well, well acted and dramatised? The emotional impact of unemployment? Family disruption?
4. Themes of employment, the effects of the European Union, the closing down of factories, machinists losing their jobs? The job-seeking centre, the woman at the desk, Pero and his constant visits, the woman finally weeping – and her own story about her husband leaving her for a younger woman? The unemployed going to the pubs, the groups, friends from the past not helping? The unemployed have no friends…?
5. Themes of family, the self-respect consequent on having a job, depression with unemployment, drinking, the possibilities of violence, the effect on the wife, children? Affairs, needs, money being absent, the demands being made, sexual frigidity, divorce and custody questions?
6. Pero, middle aged, a good man, pleasant manner, bluff, his being hurt by the situation, his group of friends at the pub, his imitations, friendliness? His love for Vera, for Sonya? The old car, fixing it, its breaking down in the countryside? His snoring, his wife having to deal with him? Smoking? His going out, drinking, Vera going out and his anger, puzzle, hitting her? Vera ousting him into the corridor, the neighbour taking him in, their discussion, her kindness? Vera and her work, her relationship, Pero spying on her, accusing her, the sexual encounter out of pity? Her decision to leave, take Sonya? The deal about the apartment for Sonya? The irony of his helping with the gas leak, becoming the caretaker? His change of attitude, friends at the pub, looking in the personal columns, the humour of some of the inquiries, his phoning Ines?
7. Vera, her story, her relationship with Pero, Sonya? Her work? His snoring, her growing exasperation, the affair? Her wanting nice things? Her anger with Pero, confronting him, his hitting her? Wanting a divorce? Listening to him, the sex out of pity and hurting him further? Her moving out, his seeing her with her friend and Sonya at school?
8. Ines, her story about her husband, his drinking, the crash, the pleasantness of the outing, the mutual shyness, talking, her going on the train – and the meeting of the following Sunday?
9. Sonya, bespectacled, at home, listening to her parents, at the football match with her father? Her wanting them to be together, her going with her mother, Pero seeing her with the adults and her seeming to be contented? His explaining to Ines about visiting her, getting her the cake?
10. The pub, his friends, their support, getting him to do the imitations? Their sharing the joy of his getting the caretaker job?
11. A theme of hope, solving the gas problem, the people supporting him, giving him the job? The hope for opportunities to arise in difficult situations?
