Film: Import Export
Release date: 26th January 2009
Certificate: 18
Running time: 135 mins
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Starring: Ekateryna Rak, Lidiya Oleksandrivna Savka, Natalya Baranova, Paul Hofmann, Michael Thomas
Genre: Drama
Studio: Trinity
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Austria/France/Germany
Legendary director Werner Herzog once described Ulrich Seidl’s films as the “closest thing to a vision of hell” he has seen, and nowhere is this description more apt than in Import Export. However, this “vision of hell” is also very real - this is contemporary Europe.
Import Export is Seidl’s bold critique of contemporary Europe, specifically, power relations between the east and the west. Olga (Ekateryna Rak) is a young mother from the Ukraine, who, after losing her job as a paediatric nurse, briefly and unsuccessfully works in the webcam porn industry before deciding to leave her young child and travel west to Austria in search of economic stability. Despite her professional status, she must endure a range of menial jobs, such as working as a cleaner in a geriatric hospital.
Paul (Paul Hofmann) is young and unemployed. He is also owes money to various local gang members. Desperate to escape, he travels from Austria to the Ukraine with his stepfather, Michael (Michael Thomas), with the hope of selling slot machines…
The distinction between east and west is clear throughout the film. Olga’s life in the Ukraine is blighted by poverty. This is reflected in the opening scene in which Olga is walking across a snow-covered field as the wind howls all around her. Dressed in a white fur coat, the back of which is almost wholly covered by her long blonde hair, she is almost invisible within this barren landscape; almost insignificant. By contrast, the west is defined by capitalism. This is appalling apparent within the geriatric hospital where Olga works. Rows of elderly people are confined in cots, unable to communicate, and rendered as helpless as babies as they wait for a nurse to change their ‘diapers’. Within capitalism, those who are unable to contribute to the buying and selling of goods are a burden, devoid of status and a voice.
Clearly, within the film, as with capitalism, money equals power. Not only does the film suggest that money and power go hand-in-hand, but it also suggests that the greatest commodity is sex. This is made explicit during a scene in which Michael brings a Ukrainian prostitute to his hotel room, telling Paul, “Let me show you the power of money.” In arguably the most horrendous scene in contemporary European cinema, Michael exploits the prostitute’s lack of understanding by forcing her to complete a series of degrading acts. The scene is unashamedly voyeuristic, as the girl is objectified by both the characters and the camera as her naked body is filmed in sustained long shots. In addition to being objectified, she is also dehumanised, as she is forced to crawl around on the floor like a dog. It is unbearable to watch - and yet impossible to look away from.
Yet this is exactly what Seidl sets out to achieve: to make people sit up and take notice. An accomplished documentary maker, Seidl aims to reflect the reality of contemporary life - an objective that is embodied within the film’s naturalistic aesthetics. Elongated shots of white-washed walls and grimy hotel rooms place the focus firmly on the characters, and contribute to the sense of bleakness that pervades the film. Sadly, at times, these documentary-like shots can feel too long, and serve only to disengage the viewer.
The performances are also remarkably naturalistic due to Seidl’s constant desire to work with non-professional actors. Both Rak and Hofmann had never acted prior to filming, and both had led very similar lives to those of their characters, all of which serves to enhance the credibility of the film and make it more compelling.
Nevertheless, Seidl’s insistence on using non-professional actors also raises some worrying questions. The scenes in the geriatric hospital are often incredibly distressing; largely due to the fact Seidl filmed genuine patients, many of whom had dementia. Therefore, it is impossible not to wonder just how much informed consent was given prior filming. Similarly, it has been well-documented that Seidl employed a real prostitute to perform in the film, which begs the question: to what extent did Seidl contribute to the very exploitation that the film seeks to criticise?
Import Export is a stark and shocking film that is simultaneously captivating and horrifying. It offers a searing indictment of contemporary Europe, particularly the exploitation of the east by the capitalist west through a series of highly naturalistic performances. However, it is impossible to ignore the growing sense of unease that arises from watching vulnerable non-actors participate in such a relentlessly intense film. In capitalism, everything has a price, and Import Export forces the viewer to question exactly what price was paid in the pursuit of realism? SH
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