On Falling

Portuguese Aurora (Joana Santos) works in a large Scottish distribution centre of an online shop. Orders pour in all day long, handled according to a tight and efficient logarithm. She gets along reasonably well with her colleagues and housemates, all migrant workers, although all these contracts are rather superficial; they talk about the weather and TV programmes and that's about it. She befriends a compatriot with whom she travels to work every day, but the latter decides to return to Portugal. Aurora is trapped in a poorly paid job, but she has not given up hope for something better.

Not much happens in this feature debut from Portuguese Edinburgh-based director Laura Carreira. In doing so, she emphasises how monotonous and lonely the life of her main character is, a woman who in this neoliberal world is no more than an insignificant link in optimising profits. She does so with subtle humour.