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Life on the fringes. This is the subject of Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s latest film, a worldly-wise portrait of how life shapes itself over time.
“Geyrhalter brings a rare humanity to people who go unseen.” – Screen Daily
“What begins as the documentation of a branch of industry dying a slow death develops over the course of ten years into an epic documentary tale of life and work in the post-industrial era. It is an outstanding, moving film devoted to people.” – Birgit Kohler, Berlinale
The subject is a group of employees who are suddenly left without a job when the small carpet factory that employs them shuts down. Spanning a period of some 10 years, this sedate observation of factory life slowly transforms into a unique and sensitive record of the ups and downs in the lives of a group of people. Some flourish with new jobs and interests, others never quite get over the closure of the factory. The shy open up and the silent speak.
At its core, the film examines the extent to which one’s job defines one’s self-image. But more than anything, Over the Years is about life, happiness, sorrow and death, cementing Geyrhalter’s status as a true auteur.