Workforce (aka Mano de Obra)

London Film Festival 2019 review #1

Workforce is the first feature by Mexican writer-director David Zonana, following a trio of short films, Princesa, Sangre Alba and Brother, all of which can be found on Youtube.

The protagonist, Francisco, is played by Luis Alberti, the only professional actor in the cast. Francisco and his brother are construction workers employed to build a luxurious new house for a wealthy client. When his brother dies in an accident at work, Francisco attempts to get compensation for his pregnant sister-in-law, but is given the run-around by the construction company. Increasingly frustrated by this, and forced every day to confront the hard reality of the contrast between the house he is helping to build and his own miserable accommodation, Francisco decides to take matters into his own hands. It is greatly to Zonana’s credit that the story takes some unexpected turns but remains completely plausible throughout.

At first, Workforce feels like the Mexican equivalent of a Ken Loach piece of social realism, and indeed this is to some extent the case. However, there are a couple of significant differences. Firstly, the story departs from the theme of social injustice to encompass the broader theme of what we might call ‘relative morality’. This is no simplistic view of the saintly workers versus their exploitative employers. Zonana shows us that all human beings are deeply flawed creatures who may do the right thing in certain difficult situations and earn our admiration as a result, but may be equally likely to do the opposite under different circumstances. His vision is not a comforting one.

The other attribute which distinguishes Workforce from many social realist films is the carefully composed and mostly static cinematography by Carolina Costa, whose use of light and colour avoids the drabness of many films set in similar worlds. This is cinema worthy of the name rather than something which belongs on a TV screen.

Workforce is refreshingly free from cliché and, at 82 minutes, does not outstay its welcome. More importantly, it will surprise you and move you and challenge you and treat you like an adult. Cinema at its best.