German Entry Wins 2018 Healthy Workplaces Film Award
The annual award honors an outstanding documentary or animated film that focuses on the experiences of workers, examining such topics as the effects of economic and political change on work, workplace risks, and mental health and well-being at work.
The 2018 Healthy Workplaces Film Award has been presented to a German entry, Marina by Julia Roesler, marking the 10th time the award has been presented. It goes to the best film on the subject of work. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) supports the award, which is hosted by the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig).
EU-OSHA reported that the winning film tells the story of Marina, an isolated Romanian care worker in Germany, and reflects the lives of the many women interviewed by the director who have moved from their homes in Eastern Europe to seek employment in the care sector in the West. The film depicts the exploitation of migrant workers and the day-to-day challenges they face.
The award honors an outstanding documentary or animated film that focuses on the experiences of workers, examining such topics as the effects of economic and political change on work, workplace risks, and mental health and well-being at work. According to EU-OSHA, the annual award raises awareness of important occupational safety and health issues, promotes safe and healthy workplaces in Europe, contributes to a growing library of films about work, and inspires talented directors to make films on OSH-related subjects.
Open to the Public, by Silvia Belloti of Italy, received a special mention for a film about the bureaucracy at the housing department in Naples.
The director of the winning film receives a €5,000 prize fund. The winning film is subtitled in several European languages and made available through an electronic platform to EU-OSHA's network of national focal points, which organize special screenings and discussions.