Forum / 2010

single channel video with sound, 23′ 42′‘(excerpt)

Directing: Marge Monko

Cast: Olga Bogdanova, Ljubov Muznik,Ljudmilla Sholpo, Zinaida Simbirskaja, Larissa Zaretskaja, Jekaterina Vardakova
Production design: Jaana Jüris
Camera: Madis Mihkelsoo
Sound: Peeter Annikve
Assistant director: Jekaterina Kultajeva
Make-up: Mai Mänd
Editing: Valter Nõmm

In the video, five Russian-speaking women read the text from /Foorum/, a program on Estonian Television, where the new Employment Contracts Act (active since July 1st , 2009) and the unemployment caused by the economic crisis are discussed by politicians, representatives of employers’ associations and trade unions, as well as the program host. Women participating in the video are all amateur actors. Most of them have lost their job during the last year. The choice of actors was based on the fact that all the societal groups that are affected by topics related to the new law were represented on the program exclusively by middle-aged, Estonian-speaking men. The goal of this video is give the workers themselves a voice through the model of a workers’ theater. In addition to the delivering a text from tv-show, actors are sharing their experiences about being unemployed.