You Can’t Automate Me
Short Film 20’59’’
Director - Katarina Jazbec
Cinematography & Colorist - Matija Pekic
Before container-ships leave port, lashers secure the containers using heavy metal bars. They are the last port workers to do such dangerous jobs surrounded by self-driven vehicles and remotely operated cranes. Each body tells its own story: from grieving for a colleague who died on the job to just keep going. Stowaway animals appear as visions of a more natural world.
With the support of IFFR RTM Award, Mondriaan Fund, V2_ Lab for Unstable Media, and TENT Film.
Festival Selections
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021, The Netherlands - World Premiere | FEKK Ljubljana Short Film Festival 2021, Slovenia - FIPRESCI’s critics award | DOKUDOC - International Documentary Film Festival 2021, Slovenia | Niederrhein Filmfestival 2021, Germany - Jury Award & Audience Award | Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam 2021, Netherlands | Festival Slovenskega Filma 2021, Slovenia | International Bosphorus Film Festival 2021, Turkey | Festival Mente Locale - Visioni sul territorio 2021, Italy | Longue vue sur le court 2021, Canada - Jury Special Mention | BOGOSHORTS Bogotá Short Film Festival 2021, Colombia | Laceno d'oro International Film Festival 2021, Italy | Afragola International Film Festival of Architecture and Design 2021, Italy - Best Cinematography Award | International Shorts 2021, Australia | London Short Film Festival 2022, UK | International Documentary Festival FIPADOC 2022, FR
Jury statement, Niederrhein Film Festival, Germany: “The winner of the Dutch competition is an impressive and powerful film by an idiosyncratic maker. Direct and hard, but also delicate, poetic and poignant. The film balances between raw reality and beautifully staged scenes. Industrialization versus nature. The maker of this film managed to get close to her characters in a creative and distinctive way, which made it a very intimate experience. A group of men who spend a lot of time together and do dangerous work, where they must depend and rely on each other. In addition, the jury was very impressed by the cinematic qualities of this film. Supported by a strong soundtrack, this maker managed to communicate an oppressive atmosphere, combined with a rich palette of emotions, through the image from the beginning to end, without the narration dropping in energy. Congratulations to Katarina Jazbec on this extraordinary film.”
Director: Katarina Jazbec | Producer: Sem Janssen, Katarina Jazbec | Choreography: Angeliki Diakrousi, Katarina Jazbec | Cinematography: Matija Pekić | Second camera: Jesse Immanuel Bom | Sound recording: Jorick Bronius, Giliam Spliethoff | Editing: Jesse Immanuel Bom, Katarina Jazbec | Music: Giliam Spliethoff | Sound design: Jorick Bronius | CG Animation: Ryan Cherewaty | Colorist: Matija Pekić | Title Design: Anja Šlibar | Sound Mix: Kasper Koudenburg | DCP: Laurent Fluttert | Catering: Arielle Fenton | Runner: Guilia Fuel | English Subtitles: Sem Paul Janssen | Dutch Translation of choreographic scores: Hannah Kalverda