Import/Export

(2007)

★ 6.9 IMDb · 128 votes

Genres: Drama

Year: 2007

Runtime: 135 мин

Country: Austria, Ukraine

Director: Ulrich Seidl

Cast: Ekateryna Rak, Paul Hofmann, Майкл Томас, Susanne Lothar, Natalya Baranova, Natalja Epureanu, Maria Hofstätter, Георг Фридрих, Erich Finsches, Johannes Nussbaum

Plot

A nurse from Ukraine searches for a better life in the West, while an unemployed security guard from Austria heads East for the same reason. Both are looking for work, a new beginning, an existence, struggling to believe in themselves, to find a meaning in life...

Olga is a young woman living in Ukraine with her mother and her infant child. She works as a nurse caring for babies in a medical facility, but the wages she receives are extremely low and insufficient to support her family. After losing her job, Olga attempts to earn money through webcam work with a friend. Facing continuing financial difficulties, she decides to leave Ukraine and travel to Austria in search of employment. After arriving in Austria, Olga finds work as a cleaner in the home of an elderly man. The job does not last, and she later obtains work as a cleaner in a nursing home. The film follows her daily routine in the facility, showing her cleaning duties and her interactions with the elderly residents who live there. In Austria, Pauli is a young man working as a security guard in a supermarket. After becoming involved in a conflict related to gaming machines located at the supermarket, he loses his job. He subsequently joins his stepfather, Michael, on a journey to Eastern Europe. During the trip, Pauli and Michael attempt to sell used gaming machines in various places. Their travels take them through different towns and environments in Eastern Europe, where they encounter a range of people while trying to conduct their business. The film alternates between Olga's experiences in Austria and Pauli's journey through Eastern Europe, following their separate paths without bringing the two characters together.