To rescue Kahlo from the clutches of the corporate art market, we need to acknowledge the overt and covert political dimensions of the work, demands GAVIN O’TOOLE
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Victims of the gig economy
RITA DI SANTO speaks to Laura Carreira about her study of workers in an Amazon warehouse, On Falling
STUDY OF THE ALIENATED WORKER: Joana Santos as Aurora in On Falling
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If you can see past the relentless commodification you will be rewarded by enormously powerful work, suggests JENNY MITCHELL
CHRIS SEARLE revels in the one-off collaboration between an American polymath and a British Muslim, and detects the presence of their revolutionary forebear
GORDON PARSONS revels in an ebullient production of Shakespeare’s magical comedy
BRENT CUTLER welcomes a thoughtful analysis of the Erdogan regime, viewed through the evolving history of a neighbourhood in Istanbul
GORDON PARSONS regrets the price, but is dazzled by an outstandingly ambitious study of the way art restoration in particular, and culture in general was weaponised by the Nazis
THE highly anticipated debut of Laura Carreira’s On Falling, winner of the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival, has finally been released in UK cinemas. On Falling is a powerful critique of the capitalist system and is highly commendable. It tells a compelling working-class story of immigration, isolation, and poverty.
The main character, Aurora, works at a Scottish fulfilment warehouse, tirelessly walking down aisles and picking items from shelves to be sent to online shoppers. Her shifts begin early in the morning and end late in the evening. Her productivity is constantly monitored, and her wages are low, barely enough to cover rent, food, electricity, and fuel costs. With little joy in her life, a glimmer of hope appears when her new Polish flatmate, a van driver, invites her out for a drink.
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