Arts Express: A Tale Of Two Truckers And Globalization In Cinema

A Tale Of Two Truckers: The Global Fiction Of Both Hollywood And Capitalism

** "This mythical beast, caring capitalism - everyone talks about it but nobody has ever seen it." 

The globalization of capitalism as exemplified by veteran UK filmmaker of conscience Ken Loach in the preceding quote while referring to his latest dramatic feature Sorry We Missed You, recently premiering at Cannes - might be viewed as much of an ironic global manifestation of fiction from Hollywood and now Netflix as well. And in that regard, German director Thomas Stuber's workingclass noir In the Aisles (In den Gängen), formulates a kind of tale of two truckers, both the different and the same, as does Loach.

In The Aisles plays out primarily within the contradictory enormous yet claustrophobic Kafkaesque confines of a wholesale supermarket warehouse - not unlike those gloomy Amazon depot catacombs. The enigmatic and brooding Christian (Franz Rogowski) signs on as a night shift worker, where the elder Bruno from the beverage department (Peter Kurth) - and not without secrets of his own - takes Christian under wing and teaches him how to operate the primary tool there, the forklift.

Eventually we learn from down time conversations between the two, that this is the former GDR (East Germany) - and that Bruno has succumbed to an unrelieved, muted despair when forced into the corporate warehouse labyrinth following German reunification - where he once enjoyed the collective human brotherhood of truckers under socialism. In contrast, Loach's trucker Kris (Ricky Turner) similarly pursued an optimistic future as a worker - but ends caught up  in the downward spiral of despair and desperation of that illusory, barely making ends meet UK deliveryman - symptomatic of the trap of the new, so-called self-employed gig economy without benefits.

And while the paradox about working stiff, economic crisis cinema exists in that the masses tend to go to the movies to get away from the nine to five downer reality - along with little patience that bourgeois film critics tend to have for the portrayal of that true to life, relentless dehumanizing drudgery as portrayed in the film - In The Aisles is inhabited by a pensive poetry all its own - and an unraveling, beyond the drama on screen urgency, however muted, to simply pay attention.

Prairie Miller

Arts Express: Airing Saturdays at 9pm ET on WBAI Radio and Pacifica stations, and streaming live everywhere and archived at wbai.org. Host, Prairie Miller

Arts Express: Conversations With Mary Harron, Karen Kramer

** "I remember when Bob Dylan first came in. He was wearing Woody Guthrie's underwear. I'm not making this up. He had a sign on his guitar that said, This Machine Kills Fascists. And I grabbed the mike and said, here he is, a legend in his lifetime - what's your name kid?"
~~ Wavy Gravy

Renegade Dreamers: Filmmaker Karen Kramer's musical doc is an homage to three previous generations of activist musicians and poets - from the 30s, the Beats, and '60s culture - and their influences on NYC social justice spoken word artists and musicians today. While delving into the connections between the generations, and how they've spread influence and ideas when it comes to activism and protest.

Most attention is focused on the younger generation today of aspiring artists, and not only past musical influences, but the more specific struggles they face today performing, expressing themselves and their creative voices, and being heard. From poetry slams and open mics to subway platforms, basements, cafes, street demonstrations and political rallies, while illuminating the founding fathers of protest in song and word like Woody Guthrie, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan. A kaleidoscope of vibrant generational influences across the decades.

Documentary director Karen Kramer is on the line to the show to politically connect the four generations of musicians and poets in her film. More information is online at: renegadedreamers.com.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

** "I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film."

Charlie Says: A Conversation With Mary Harron. The director best known for exploring the dark side of oppressive societies in cinema like American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol and The Notorious Bettie Page, presents her dramatic probe of the Manson Family - specifically focusing on the women. Screened at Tribeca.

** Culture Matters: Is Russiagate a mental disorder? A shrink's take on the current phenomenon.

Plus...News Blasts: Actress Activists Pamela Anderson visits Julian Assange, Patricia Arquette stops by Capitol Hill; Eurovision, Boycotting Israel, Roger Waters, London March for Palestine; and what's up with US establishment political parties infiltrating public schools.

Arts Express: Airing on the WBAI/Pacifica National Radio Network And Affiliate Stations. Host, Prairie Miller


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