THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF LAUNDRY takes an unvarnished look at the often invisible world behind the shiny façade of the luxury hotel industry and the globalization of the noughties. Every day, a dozen trucks commute between Berlin and Gryfino in Poland to take dirty hotel laundry to the dry cleaners. There, in the Fliegel industrial laundry, it is mainly women who work under harsh conditions for low wages. The film focuses on three generations of women: Monika, who in addition to her shift work worries about the future of her daughter Marta, who is trying to retrain as a beautician after losing her job at the laundry; Beata, a single mother trying to make ends meet for her family under one roof with her boyfriend and his ex-wife; and Lidia, Beata's mother, who plans to temporarily move to England for better earning opportunities. These women embody the struggle for a better life against the backdrop of a globalized labour market that normalizes low wages and exhausting working hours. They are caught between the harsh reality of their everyday lives and the dreams of a home of their own and a secure future for their children. Director Hans-Christian Schmid presents their stories with a rawness and intimacy that draws the viewer directly into the lives of the protagonists. DIE WUNDERSAME WELT DER WASCHKRAFT is not only an insight into the dark corners of the global economy, but also a silent ode to the strength and perseverance of women at the bottom of the economic chain.
A look behind the scenes: This documentary reveals the hidden efforts and globalized processes behind clean hotel linen.
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF LAUNDRY takes an unvarnished look at the often invisible world behind the shiny façade of the luxury hotel industry and the globalization of the noughties. Every day, a dozen trucks commute between Berlin and Gryfino in Poland to take dirty hotel laundry to the dry cleaners. There, in the Fliegel industrial laundry, it is mainly women who work under harsh conditions for low wages.
The film focuses on three generations of women: Monika, who in addition to her shift work worries about the future of her daughter Marta, who is trying to retrain as a beautician after losing her job at the laundry; Beata, a single mother trying to make ends meet for her family under one roof with her boyfriend and his ex-wife; and Lidia, Beata's mother, who plans to temporarily move to England for better earning opportunities.
These women embody the struggle for a better life against the backdrop of a globalized labour market that normalizes low wages and exhausting working hours. They are caught between the harsh reality of their everyday lives and the dreams of a home of their own and a secure future for their children.
Director Hans-Christian Schmid presents their stories with a rawness and intimacy that draws the viewer directly into the lives of the protagonists. DIE WUNDERSAME WELT DER WASCHKRAFT is not only an insight into the dark corners of the global economy, but also a silent ode to the strength and perseverance of women at the bottom of the economic chain.