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Workingman's Death

Play trailer Poster for Workingman's Death 2005 2h 2m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Filmmaker Michael Glawogger chronicles examples of horrific, dangerous and backbreaking jobs from around the world, such as coal-mining in Ukraine, collecting sulfur from volcanoes in Indonesia, manufacturing steel in China and dismantling oil tankers by hand in Pakistan.

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Workingman's Death

Critics Reviews

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Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle 05/05/2006
3/4
This documentary about men and women performing brutal work tasks for next to no money is full of arresting and eloquent images. Go to Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post 02/24/2006
3/4
There's scant dialogue in Workingman's Death, but little is needed when majestic camera work by Wolfgang Thaler tells the story so well. Go to Full Review Allison Benedikt Chicago Tribune 02/24/2006
2/4
It's not exactly a good time at the movies, and even as pure education, it's a rather dull film with very little dialogue. Go to Full Review Jason Gorber Film Scouts 06/21/2007
A-
It's a rewarding film with some elements I may never forget. Go to Full Review Prairie Miller WBAI Web Radio 05/04/2007
Labor as decorative and devoid of meaning. Go to Full Review Michael W. Phillips, Jr. Goatdog's Movies 03/18/2006
3/5
Visually, technically, the film is undeniably a work of art, with all aspects -- sound, editing, cinematography, music -- coming together in a stunning symphony. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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04/11/2014 Highly recommendable documentary! It shows people around the world working under extreme conditions, sometimes they have no choice and do what they gotta do to feed their families. Beside the breathtankingly beautiful locations it is the African slaughter scene that will stay in your mind for the rest of your life. See more 05/07/2013 Ukrainian "heroes" collect coal, Indonesian "ghosts" collect sulfur. Nigerian "lions" work at an abattoir, killing animals, then roasting them over burning tires. Pakistani "brothers" cut giant ships into scrap. The last part is about steel mills in China and Germany. "Glawogger is an extraordinarily elegant filmmaker with a photographer's eye for striking compositions." See more 03/18/2013 Thank God I don't have one of these jobs. Beautifully-shot and fascinating, but I would have liked it to have been more educational. See more 11/09/2011 An astonishing documentary... See more 08/26/2011 Incredible cinematography. Compelling stories. Highest recommendation. See more 12/03/2010 Se riuscite mettete le mani su questo documentario. Lo trovate sul sito di Internazionale. Shocking e lirico al contempo. Riesce a dare un vero senso al concetto di "ammazzarsi di fatica". Assolutamente da non perdere! Non per i deboli di stomaco nel capitolo che si occupa del mattatoio di Port Harcourt, Nigeria. See more Read all reviews
Workingman's Death

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Glawogger

Director

Michael Glawogger

Writer

Pepe Danquart

Producer

Mirjam Quinte

Producer

Erich Lackner

Executive Producer

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Workingman's Death

Workingman's Death (2005) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Michael Glawogger chronicles examples of horrific, dangerous and backbreaking jobs from around the world, such as coal-mining in Ukraine, collecting sulfur from volcanoes in Indonesia, manufacturing steel in China and dismantling oil tankers by hand in Pakistan.
Director
Michael Glawogger
Producer
Pepe Danquart, Mirjam Quinte
Screenwriter
Michael Glawogger
Production Co
Arte, Quinte Film, Lotus Film
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Feb 24, 2006
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Runtime
2h 2m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital Surround EX
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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