New film telling the story of the struggles of migrant workers

BBC News

14-03-2025

Loneliness and the precarious work prospects of immigrant workers are themes explored in a new film written and directed by Scottish-based film maker Laura Carreira. In 'On Falling', her first feature film, she highlights the isolation and insecurity that comes with some jobs.Imagine working in a huge warehouse, scanning items in a job dictated by the bleep of a machine, knowing your productivity is being constantly monitored.Then, when work is finished, you go home to your shared accommodation, where you sit on your own eating cheap meals as that is all you can afford, and spend much of your time 'doom scrolling' on social media.That is the life of Aurora, a character in the film 'On Falling'. A timid and lonely female migrant, she works as a 'picker' in a Scottish warehouse.The film illustrates the precariousness of 'gig work' and the importance of human connection. "We follow her in a week where she's struggling to make ends meet and also struggling with loneliness and alienation," said Ms Carreira.
"I started reading a lot about the gig economy and I discovered the job of a picker," said Ms Carreira"When companies talk about efficiency and how quickly a parcel gets to you, I was expecting it to come from technology, but actually it's someone rushing around a warehouse, getting the item as fast as they can and being told to the second how long they have to get there. "Immediately I thought - there is a film here."
Having moved to Scotland at the young age of 18 to study film in Edinburgh, Ms Carreira says that gave her the perspective to tell the story from the viewpoint of an immigrant."I started interviewing pickers and realised a lot are economic migrants. I realised I could tell this story and I could tell it through a Portuguese female character as well.
'Loneliness and exploitation'
"Those first years were hard, you know? You don't have any social ties to the country and you are trying to belong. You experience the loneliness and the exploitation closer to your skin because when you don't have those ties you have less security and less protections. "But I really think that what she's going through is pretty universal, anyone who works can probably relate to elements of what Aurora is going through."'On Falling' had its preview at the London Film Festival last October.It is being shown at the Watershed cinema in Bristol until 20 March, in a partnership with the Glasgow Film Festival, before being released at 54 more cinemas across the UK.
"I think it is part of the immigrant's experience to go into another country looking for a better life and it might not be there," Ms Carreira said."Of course sometimes you do find your way and you find a sense of belonging. And I think that can be a really positive experience when you come from another country, you're speaking a different language, and after so many years you're part of it."Despite the struggles of Aurora in the film, Ms Carreira said she wanted to bring a more positive issue to light."Even though the film can be dark at points, for me it was really important to preserve the kindness of others," she said."I think sometimes we find ourselves in these strange positions, with this entire idea that we're out there competing against each other. "But in reality, I think people really care for each other and as migrant that's a perspective that you get, and I wanted to bring that into the film."