| The Big Sellout | Florian Opitz |
- Synopsis |
- Credits |
- Director |
- Contact |
- Program
Privatization for Minda in Manila, Bongani in Soweto and Simon in Brighton, is more than an abstract notion. It is the life-threatening reality they deal with every day. In this episodic documentary, Florian Opitz examines the consequences of privatization - often forced by institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Minda struggles to find money for the dialysis of her son, because Philippine health care has been largely privatized, and is no longer accessible. Bongani and his team of "electro-guerillas" roam their South African township and illegally restore electricity to homes of people who are unable to pay their bills to the soon to be privatizes supplier. Simon humorously relates his adventures as a train driver, first for British Rail, and then for countless other firms that come and go with a regularity that has long disappeared from the train schedule. The victory of the citizens of Cochabamba, Bolivia in a fight against a mighty US corporation that tried to control their water supply, adds a note of hope to the film. The interwoven storylines are complemented with interviews with "the other side," those responsible for the privatizations and with comments by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, who left the ranks of the doers to fight for the losers.
Germany | 2006 | English, Spanish, Filipino | 94' | Color
Original Title: Der Große Ausverkauf
Cinematography: Andy Lehmann
Film Editing: Niko Remus
Screenplay: Florian Opitz
Production: Felix Blue, Arne Ludwig
Music: Pluramon
Florian Opitz (1973, Saarbrücken, Alemania) is a freelance documentary filmmaker, author, and journalist. Florian studied History, Psychology and English at the universities of Cologne and Heidelberg and graduated with an M.A. Since 1998, Florian has been working as a freelance filmmaker and journalist for several European TV stations, including ARD, ARTE and ZDF. He has made several political documentaries, mainly about issues related to globalization, historical documentaries, and films about Jack Kerouac, Charles de Gaulle, Naomi Klein, and the history of the skinhead movement. Since 2000 he has been working on a doctoral dissertation in German History. Florian has also taught numerous documentary film courses in several German universities.
Klaus Rasmussen
BAVARIA FILM INTERNATIONAL
Bavariafilmplatz 8 | 82031 Geiselgasteig | Germany
phone +49 (89) 6499-3727 | fax +49 (89) 6499-3720
Klaus.Rasmussen@Bavaria-Film.de
