Eisenfresser - Iron Eaters

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rkaderbd
July 06, 2008

In this documentary written, filmed and directed by Shaheen Dill-Riaz, seasonal famine in northern Bangladesh drives men to the coastal south where they can find work as iron eaters, those who break down huge old tankers, container ships using little more than their bare hands, recovering every bit of the iron for resale to the construction industry. The work is divided into castes -- with the northern men at the lowest end. Treated like idiots, shoeless and dressed in little more than a wrapped fabric around their hips (reminiscent of the Egyptian slaves building the pyramids), they are the cable carriers who as a team maneuver the huge beached ships and its parts for less than 70¢ a 10-hour day. This treatment allows the higher ups to justify their superiority. As 60% of the world's retired ships are broken down in Bangladesh, the managers, owners and surrounding businesses are making a killing with this new industry that only began in the 1960s, revealing an ugly consequence of globalization.

Visually the film is exciting as these tiny "ants" navigate the massive ghost ships, whose creaking resembles a monster animal's wail. "It's not only the work procedure which makes this world so unique, but also the admirable strength of the workers. Superhuman figures with primitive tools recycling everything to the very last screw stand before the refuse of civilization. It is exhausting, dangerous and basically impossible work. And yet they manage to do it and have been doing so for years." (Shaheen Dill-Riaz). Eisenfresser, produced by Hamburg's Lemme Film GmbH, has won many awards, among them: New Berlin Film Award 2008 for best documentary and the Grand Prix 2007 des Festivals Le Festival International Du Film D'Environnement, Paris

Category: Film & Animation

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HildeAnnLynn (11 months ago) Show Hide

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This was an incredible documentary and well worth seeing.

mashruf (1 year ago) Show Hide

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boooooo booooo boooo booo booooo boooo boooo boooo boooo boooo

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