“An intriguing portrait of the modern workforce.”

“Just as our bodies retain traces of lead, arsenic, mercury and other industrial toxins, our psyches absorb the values and violence of our culture.”

We are more exhausted than ever before – or at least this is what many contemporary psychologists and medical professionals say – a point that has become the source of entire industries built on examining productivity and how society functions in a world where the amount of work that we need to do to be considered useful is increasing exponentially.  The quote above is drawn from Action Item, the second directorial outing by Paula Ďurinová, who crafts a fascinating and engaging documentary built around the concept of burnout, a term that we hear often in relation to how a large portion of the global population is struggling to maintain a purposeful work-life balance. More than just a buzzword found in meandering self-help lectures and clickbait articles, burnout has become a common point of discussion. The director contributes to this dialogue by following the daily routines of a small group of young people in Berlin, showing their intensely busy schedules and contrasting these with forthright conversations in which their concerns and frustrations are outlined in detail. This creates an intriguing portrait of the modern workforce and how even those in entry-level jobs find themselves facing difficult schedules, with very little reprieve or room for recovery, all of which Ďurinová effectively outlines throughout this film.

The thematic content of Action Item can be seen from quite a distance, as Ďurinová makes it clear that she has no interest in being coy about what she intends to discuss. This is a steadfast manifesto that examines contemporary views of labour and the increased overlap between the professional and personal lives of ordinary people, who are consistently put in a position where more is being demanded of them than ever before. One of the core ideas that this film investigates is the common belief that simply doing what you were hired for and not going the extra mile signifies a lack of dedication. Perhaps describing it as a tirade against capitalism may be misguided, but there is still some degree of simmering anger beneath the surface, which Ďurinová approaches with a lot of caution to give it the focus that it deserves without integrating unrelated conversations into a film that is, at its heart, a very simple series of discussions. Drawn from the director’s own experiences dealing with a significant amount of burnout and stress from an intensely busy life, the film dives deep into the subject, attempting to provide a thorough explanation of this phenomenon while also never implying that it is definitive, threading the needle between providing information and simply observing these young people’s lives in motion.

Considering that the subject matter feels universally resonant – or at least amongst those whose jobs demand long hours and where the entire premise of productivity is defined by whether someone is willing to take on more responsibilities than are perhaps required – there was always going to be a sense of relevance behind this narrative. However, it isn’t enough to simply have vital ideas, since the execution is equally important. Ďurinová is not only a strong social critic, but someone whose attention to detail and ability to weave the simplest concepts into a poignant, complex story about modern existence is a tremendous merit and one of the reasons she can be considered a major new voice in non-fiction filmmaking. The form the film takes is an immediate indication that she didn’t intend to solely make a piece of social commentary, but rather a multilayered, bold expression of contemporary existence. There are a couple of more abstract compositions, such as a pair of haunting shots late in the film – the protagonists sleeping on large piles of hay, contrasted with an enormous stadium floodlight in which only a single bulb remains illuminated – and while these are certainly not subtle, they provide strong metaphors that underline the intricate conversations making up the majority of this film.

While some viewers may not agree with all the assertions made by the director (particularly those who feel incredulity towards the idea of burnout being quite as bad as depicted), it is clear that she achieved something very effective with Action Item. The film may take some time to fully comprehend its underlying themes, but it still makes fascinating observations that at the very least provide a unique glimpse into the challenges faced by the modern workforce. It is both a compelling account of modern sensibilities relating to the workforce, and also a well-crafted, meaningful attempt to document these conversations with a sense of artistic integrity. Running at just over an hour, there isn’t a lot of time for this film to develop on its fundamental themes, which required Ďurinová to make some interesting choices in terms of visual composition and the elements that she chooses to include. The use of overlapping discussions, narration that underlines the many different themes of these conversations, and some very impressive visual arrangements that complement (and sometimes intentionally contradict) what is being said creates a bold work that may seem quite simple in theory, but has many layers. It doesn’t provide answers to the questions posited at the start, but it also never claims to be the definitive text on the subject of burnout. Instead, it successfully challenges our understanding of common concepts, provoking thought and stirring discussion, which is easily the primary motivation behind this engaging documentary.