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Program 4: U.S. Premiere of 'STRAYS' plus 'Freelance Nation' - Life in the Gig Economy, Economic Downturns

  • Cinema Village 22 East 12th Street New York, NY, 10003 United States (map)

Freelance Nation - “No Shifts, No Boss, No Limits” reads a giant billboard in one of the main transportation hubs of NYC.  From adjunct professors to taxi drivers, many people are finding themselves outside of the traditional employment model, with no benefits and little job security. This transformation is further exasperated by technological developments and the rise of the “gig economy”. Freelance Nation explores the other side of the popular “sharing economies” from the perspective of Uber drivers as they struggle to organize for workers’ rights being eroded under the guise of freedom and opportunity(2017, 15 min)

‘S|T|R|A|Y|S’ - A bold and innovative look at the struggles of Londoners under the pressure of an economic downturn.  Shot on location in London, the unique and ground-breaking “rotoscoped” aesthetic took four years to complete; the director, himself, drawing elements over the live-action footage whilst preserving the nuances of the cast’s performances.

Focusing on a group of friends: a banker, a minimum wage worker, a blogger, an I.T. technician, a punk poet, and a businessman, ‘S|T|R|A|Y|S’ explores how a financial decline affects their lives and relationships, and considers wider social issues of isolationism, youth unemployment, housing, and gender and racial inequality.

An unflinching and inventive new depiction of modern London, blurring the lines between the real world and animation, ‘S|T|R|A|Y|S’ is “A living graphic novel about life”.  (2017, 86 min, U.K.)

 

 

 

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