Before the film I had time to drop by Aitken’s Wine Warehouse where the temptations are infinite.

I came out with a bottle of Akrathos Assyrtiko dry white wine from Newlands Winery in Halkidiki plus a bottle of Tobermory Gin from the Isle of Mull. I’d already had a bottle of the Akrathos and rated it a 10 so I knew it would be good. The Tobermory Gin also turned out to be very good, radiating a rich lively lingering flavour.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/24/on-falling-review-the-strip-mining-of-an-online-warehouse-workers-sanity With the two bottles stashed in my backpack, I headed down from Hawkhill to DCA to see ‘On Falling’, written and directed by Edinburgh-based Laura Carreira.   

The film follows Aurora, a Portuguese migrant working in a warehouse somewhere in Scotland. Though don’t expect any uplifting Visit Scotland imagery as the film is shot indoors or, for a few scenes, outside at night.

This all-pervading lack of daylight and sunshine in ‘On Falling’ reinforces the oppressive limitations of Aurora’s life as she works a thankless job where excellent performance is insultingly rewarded by a bar of chocolate, as if the warehouse workers are mere children with no rights to respect or appreciation.

Joana Santos is excellent as Aurora in an understated, downbeat performance devoid of self-pity despite the constantly stressful breadline existence Aurora is enduring.

There are moments of humour scattered through the film that alleviate the gloom and affirm a consoling solidarity between Aurora and the other workers who are struggling to get by in a brutal low-wage economy.

‘On Falling’ is a wonderful film that fully deserves the accolades it has received, such as Winner of Silver Shell for Best Director at the 72^nd San Sebastian Film Festival 2024 and Winner of Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival 2024.

After the film it was a short stroll along Perth Road for a fish supper at Tay Fry Inn washed down with a can of Scotland’s other national drink, Irn Bru.

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