Ruthless Times: Songs of Care

Armotonta menoa - hoivatyön lauluja, musical, documentary, Finland, 2022

DIRECTED BY: Susanna Helke

Ruthless Times: Songs of Care

SCRIPT:
Markku Heikkinen,
Susanna Helke

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Sari Aaltonen

MUSIC:
Anna-Mari Kähärä

EDITING:
Samu Kuukka,
Inka Lahti,
Markus Leppälä

Synopsis:

Documentary segments are combined with choral tableau vivant scenes, capturing the current crisis in the Finnish elderly care sector. With its dark humor, and at times grim but poignant moments, the film portrays the unravelling of the ethos behind caring for the elderly citizens of a Nordic welfare society, illuminating the mismatch between the ethical and economical foundations of care work.

The care-workers’ anonymous testimonies are composed into choral songs, depicting everyday experiences of those working in the field. Through the songs, the film gives a voice to those who don’t dare to talk for fear of losing their jobs. Retirees and elderly citizens sing impudent songs playing with the economic jargon of our time, making visible the absurdity of the bureaucratic language that has penetrated every aspect of human life.

color, 92′

Trailer