Import/Export portrays new Europe's darker side

By Andrew McCathie May 21, 2007, 14:35 GMT

Cannes, France - Austrian director Ulrich Seidl's Import/Export, which premiered at the Cannes film festival Monday, tells a hard-hitting story about those who have not necessarily emerged as winners from the changes unleashed in Europe since the fall of communism.

Unable to make a living as a nurse in her home country of Ukraine, Olga - played by Ekaterina Rak from the former Yugoslavia - leaves her child with her mother and shifts to the West in the hope of a better life.

She ends up working as a cleaner in a geriatric ward in Austria, as is the case with many other immigrants, taking a job that the Austrians don't want.

Likewise Paul, an aimless and somewhat aggressive young man who has lost his job as a security guard in Austria, is seeking to new sense of direction.

Paul, played by Austrian Paul Hofmann, and his stepfather pack up and head for the east, ending up Ukraine.

But for Paul and Olga, the reality ends up falling far short of what they had both hoped for.

'It is film about two young people trying to find themselves,' said Seidl.

The Vienna-born Seidl sees the film as a warning for what is going on life, saying he likes to shock his audience and explore the places that people don't want to go.

'I think there are no limits,' Seidl told journalists.

With this in mind, and despite Import/Export depicting the migration of labour across the frontiers of the new Europe, Seidl's film does not show any borders between countries.

In Import/Export, sex plays a central role, with Seidl using his movie to explore the darker side of death and the commercialisation of sex.

'In this film I am talking about global sex,' Seidl said referring to his use of internet sex in the film. 'I wanted to show alienated sex,' the 54-year-old director said.

As with many directors today, Seidl also seeks out non- professional actors to give his films a freshness and sense of reality.

'I look for a blend professional and non-professional actors,' said Seidl. 'What does matter is their credibility on the screen.'

Prior to her role in Import/Export, Rak had never worked as an actor. But she had previously worked as a nurse.

'I think we need films like this because they are about stories which are happening everywhere,' she said.

Seidl has through the five films he has so far made developed a reputation as something as a radical director who is also best known for his documentaries.

In keeping with his background as a documentary filmmaker, Siedl uses a shoulder-held camera in Import/Export and often places his actors in public places, in attempt to capture a measure of spontaneity in the scenes.

Import/Export takes place in a real geriatric ward, a real children's hospital and a real internet sex agency.

The scenes in Import/Export were essentially not planned with the actors in the film saying that Seidl encouraged them to push their performance to as far they would go.

'Ulrich gave me a lot of freedom to present my character,' said Paul Hoffman, who played Paul in the movie.