Saturday, May 20, 2006

Finale of Fired!

"Fired!" (dirs. Chris Bradley & Kyle Labrach, US, 2006, 85 mins.) was my final selection in this year's San Francisco DocFest. (I'm jaunting out of town for a week tomorrow!) Annabelle Gurwitch was fired from a Woody Allen play - BY Woody Allen, which was appropriately traumatic enough to inspire her to write about the experience and the experiences of others. From the book comes this film, in which numerous performers as well as 'ordinary people' are interviewed about their terminations. It's an interesting concept that Gurwitch treads. The majority of comics gives it a light touch, and the interviews with economists and politicos give it some weight, without going into Michael-Moore-"Roger and Me" territory. She aims to redefine and destigmatize what being 'let go' is about these days. The change in the 'employment paradigm' (quotes President Bush) for the current society is NOT being in the same job or employer for 30+ years until retirement, but a working class of freelancers. Surprisingly, it is from Ben Stein that the ethical and moral issue of this predicament is made. (I won't spoil that moment for you!) The film has been picked up by the Sundance Channel, so keep your eye out for it!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

re "Fired!": "Are you ok?"