Synopsis
One night, a group of workers realizes that the administration is stealing machines and raw materials from their own factory. As they organize to survey the equipments and block the relocation of the production, they are forced to stand in their posts with no work to be done. The Nothing Factory is at the same time an invitation to rethink the role of human work in a time where crisis became the dominant form of government, a hymn to community spirit and a pitiable musical.
A word from Tënk
The “crisis” – the eternal mantra used to justify today’s abuses at work – is the spark that ignites the fantastic saga of The Nothing Factory. But the film doesn’t linger too long on this post-industrial era “crisis” (apart from an interlude with a brief lesson in economics over a drink with some eminent philosophers), and, along with the workers (most of whom play themselves), we set out on a journey into the unknown. It’s a challenge that some would call utopic – to take back possession of their own means of production, and while they’re at it, their values, their honour and their professional lives. The movie then shifts into a totally punk epic, where labour and cinema are given a new breath of life. The Nothing Factory also boasts the collaboration of five members of Terratreme Filmes – yet more proof that “collective” labour is not unproductive!
Aurélien Marsais
Programmer, producer
