85 min. French.
A new production center, maybe set in an undetermined future. What is being produced here? We shall find out by following the given traces. Two pairs of hands trying to untangle themselves. A human sheep virtually cut into pieces. A warm welcome to the authors and actors of their lives. Stories being told, their narrators dissected. When the gates open, those leaving Labour Power Plant have been made fit for the demands of the labour market. The next production cycle begins… People with their own wills, interests, and desires are being equipped with the different physiological, cognitive, psychological, and social core competencies to transform them into human resources. Meanwhile, the management is introducing new methods to enrich the products with the innovative features of ‘self-evaluation’, ‘self-optimisation’, and, most importantly, ‘self-fulfilment’. A series of interventions are performed, leading to an assembly that may appear strange at first sight.
Robert Schlicht, born in Berlin in 1975, and Romana Schmalisch, born in Berlin in 1974, are artists and filmmakers. They have been collaborating on numerous projects at the interface of film, theory, and art. Labour Power Plant is their first feature film.
Production Olivier Marboeuf, Kristina Konrad, Michel Balagué, Robert Schlicht, Romana Schmalisch. Production companies Spectre Productions (Paris, France), weltfilm (Berlin, Germany), Volte Slagen (Berlin, Germany). Written and directed by Robert Schlicht, Romana Schmalisch. Cinematography Romain Le Bonniec. Editing Eytan Ipeker. Sound design Gábor Ripli. Sound Térence Meunier. Assistant director Friederike Bérat. Production manager Jeremy Rossi. With Frédéric Schulz-Richard (Thomas), Aude Ollier (Rose), Franc Bruneau (Louis), Émmanuelle Péron (Martine), Jacques Ledran (Gilles), Robert Rizo (Creative Trainer), Xavier Brossard (Mr. Chevalier), Arnaud Bichon (Mr. Legrand), Cécile Lancia (Constance Condillac), Jean-Marc Piquemal (Guide).
Films
Robert Schlicht and Romana Schmalisch: 2004: Dom Sovietov (30 min.). 2007: Radiation / An Alien Revue (20 min.). 2010: Recitando (33 min.). 2011: Preliminaries (48 min.). 2015: Catastrophes (30 min.). 2017: Top/Down (17 min.). 2019: Labour Power Plant.
Photo: © Robert Schlicht, Romana Schmalisch
