Eisenfresser

Highly-acclaimed on the world festival circuit, the film depicts a world which is barely imaginable to many in the west. Some of the scenes are almost absurd -- the men sent to dismantle the massive vessels, from disused military ships to outmoded luxury cruise-liners (symbols of a luxury the men can barely imagine), are dwarfed by their size. These dinosaurs lie on the beach and are painstakingly taken apart by teams of men and boys. The Bangladesh-born director, Shaheen Dill-Riaz, a photographer by training, films the back-breaking labour with great care and an impressive aesthetic sense: the scenes of men hoisting ropes, carrying sheets of iron so heavy their legs buckle under the weight, or welding (creating sparks like fireworks) are achingly beautiful. Surprisingly, the work does not manage to break the men's souls as well. As they work, the men sing and tell jokes, make fun of each other's accents and try to make the most of an incredibly difficult situation.