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The Nothing Factory

Name: The Nothing Factory
Director: Pedro Pinho
Released: 2017
Duration: 177 min

Representation Score

8.7/10

Excellent

2017

Not Rated

Director

Pedro Pinho

Runtime

177 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Nothing Factory offers a nuanced critique of neoliberalism by shifting away from individual hero stories to the collective power of a underrepresented workforce. It effectively challenges Eurocentric views by emphasizing a multi-ethnic, working-class experience in Lisbon. The film's standout achievement is its multi-layered approach to race and class. By placing immigrant workers at the heart of the narrative, it challenges the portrayal of a uniform white European working class. However, the film's emphasis on systemic economic issues sometimes overlooks specific identity-based narratives. The lack of prominent LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent representation narrows its scope of social commentary.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Nothing Factory have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film doesn't prominently feature LGBTQ+ stories or non-cisgender identities as key plot elements. Instead, it focuses on the socioeconomic struggles of workers.

How does The Nothing Factory portray gender?

Good

The story avoids traditional male-dominated hierarchies by highlighting the shared economic hardships faced by both male and female workers. It examines how financial instability affects gender roles in both home and work settings.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Nothing Factory?

Excellent

The film showcases a diverse Lisbon through a predominantly non-white and immigrant workforce. Characters of color play central roles, offering a critical look at post-colonial power structures.

How does The Nothing Factory represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story criticizes Western capitalist systems by portraying factories and states as oppressive entities. It emphasizes a collective, anti-capitalist perspective to highlight the struggles of workers.

Does The Nothing Factory include disability representation?

Fair

The film highlights the physical and mental strain of hard labor. It focuses on the hidden disabilities of exhaustion and psychological stress caused by economic hardship.

Present on Screen

Highlights the significant role of characters of color through a predominantly non-white and immigrant cast.
Challenges traditional Eurocentric views by using a post-colonial lens and a multi-ethnic setting.
Avoids traditional patriarchal hierarchies by focusing on shared class-based identity over gendered roles.

Limited or Absent

Does not include prominent LGBTQ+ narratives or non-cisgender identities within the storyline.
Does not explicitly represent neurodivergent or specific clinical disability identities.

Official Synopsis

One night, a group of workers realises that the administration is stealing machines and raw materials from their own factory. As they organize to survey the equipment and block the relocation of production, they are forced to stand at their posts with no work to do, as a form of retaliation, while negotiations over general lay-offs take place. The pressure leads to a breakdown of the workers along with the world around them.

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