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INVISIBLE LIVES: Romanian Night Workers in London

Short Documentary. Winner of the ‘2013 Roundtable Project’ Award, Romanian Cultural Centre/Ratiu Family Foundation, London

6:00 pm, Tuesday, November 26
Nador 13, Room 001
Global cities like London have an incessant rhythm of consumption that needs to be maintained around-the-clock. This short film shines a light on the invisible lives of people working at night whilst the majority sleep or enjoy the nocturnal life. Invisible Lives is a short documentary that explores the experiences of Romanians working at night in London. This film features night workers in the construction and hotelier industries, a sex worker on the street and a market trader. They share their stories that encapsulate the highs and lows of night work, from moments of danger to moments of tranquillity when night meets day. These people’s lives are hardened by threats from pimps and punters or from tiring 12-hour night shifts. The night workers’ experiences are revealed in snapshots through audio stories combined with a visual portrait of nocturnal London – a city that never sleeps.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director and researcher:

Tim Marrinan, director, will provide his commentary in a short video in which he will address
the film making aspects: making portraits of individual experiences, using audio recordings, etc.
Iulius-Cezar Macarie, director, Department of SocAnthro, CPS, will talk about the research/enthographic aspects of the film


About the directors:

Iulius-Cezar Macarie is affiliated with the Centre for Policy Studies as a Marie Curie Junior Research Fellow in the Integration and International Migration: Pathways and Intergration Policies (INTEGRIM). His reserach topic is on the key issues related to Romanians and Bulgarians (A2) nationals working nightshifts in London. He is also a PhD candidate a the depeartment of Sociology and Social Anthropoology at CEU. Find out more about his work and interests: https://cps.ceu.hu/profiles/research-fellow/iulius-cezar_macarie

Tim Marrinan is a documentary filmmaker working primarily on exploring issues relating to art, culture and society. He currently makes films for the National Theatre in the UK and his recent short film Beam Drop screened internationally at film festivals and was aired on television in the UK and the US.