Hello...?
But, are you there?
What are they doing?
Fuck!
Okay, see you in a bit.
What's going on?
What happened?
Based on an original idea by
- Do you work here? - Yeah, we are serving the company.
- What's inside the van? - That's our business.
- What's really going on here? - I owe you no explanations.
- We work here, man! - And I'm only doing my job!
How do you have the gate key?
Who gave it to you?
Listen, buddy, I'm working. I have orders, I have a key, I'm working.
- If you have any doubts, ask someone else! - I can't believe this shit!
Let's go.
No, you're not going. I want to know what's in there.
We want to see what's in there.
- Is there a problem with that? - You bet. Is this your van?
- No. - I'm working...
But we work here and want to know what's going on.
We get here in the middle of the night...
You should have come earlier.
It's my van. And I'm not opening it.
I'm not opening the door!
Just let us see what's going on.
I have no explaining to do. I'm following orders, I'm working.
Then just let us see what the fuck is in there.
- I won't let you open it! - Fuck this shit!
Now we're going to open it!
I'm going to tear this shit down!
- Calm down! Take that shit out. - Get away! That's how you work...
So you're stealing the machines? Is that it?
Fuck, so this is what you were hiding!
- Just fucking leave! - If I see you here again...
The other van left. I was alone. I couldn't stop it.
We're seriously fucked! These guys are fucking us!
These sons of bitches want to fuck us over. They want to give us the boot.
- And they're taking things on the sly. - But we can't let them!
We stay here until the morning. And when the rest of the people
and the administration come, we have to push them hard.
We'll tell them that they can't take the machines.
On a weekend, everyone at home, they take the machines.
Next Monday, folks show up and there's only their place left.
Just my luck!
Who is this lighter?
If they took this shit, that would be it for us.
Go get dressed. Quick!
I will never get dressed. Never!
Where's Zé?
- There's no lift today. - No lift, no school.
Get out!
No!
The suburban train CP Lisbon, coming from Alcântara-Terra
and headed to Azambuja, is now pulling into track number 3
It stops at all stations.
- Good morning, gentlemen! - Good morning!
What's all this mess? Why is the machine out here?
- Why, you ask? - Yes. And what are you doing here?
- You don't know what's happening? - No idea...
All I know is that the machine should be inside and you should be working now.
All I know is that we spent the whole night here and haven't slept yet.
If that machine is still there, it's because we stopped it from being taken.
- There were two vans taking equipment. - We couldn't stop one of them
They were following orders. You're not aware?
Absolutely not! Fernando, round up the men...
- I don't believe this guy. - ...And come by my office in 20 minutes.
Nobody understands what's going on!
- They closed the door on us... - This is going to be closed.
Mr. Arlindo, come quickly! They took it all. Computers, everything.
...the legionella outbreak may have already been contained
after 10pm we're having the mayor of Vila Franca de Xira.
Just wait a moment. Mr. Arlindo is on the phone.
I'll call you in a bit, okay?
...the epidemiologist Filipe Frois, interviewed this morning by Antena 1
this specialist says that the outbreak peak might be over.
Well I haven't enough data about the subject, but those who have to publicize
this sensible data are the competent authorities.
But from what I've seen yesterday when I visited...
...the Hospital of Vila Franca de Xira alongside the Minister of Health...
There will be showers today, specially on the northern coastline.
Snowfall in regions above 1500 metros...
Temperature will rise in mainland Portugal.
I'm really sorry, gentlemen, sorry.
What's going on?
Maybe we should check around for a bit. We may have more surprises.
- So what? - Nothing.
The guy just left in a rush. What's his problem?
- What kind of animal bit him? - No, he didn't say anything.
Nuno, go get the forklift and bring the robot inside.
- We have to find out what's missing. - Guys, let's see what's missing, come on.
Sander.
Angle grinders.
I think we need to do an inventory.
The two semi-automatic ones seem to be gone too.
Martins, I can't find the 10mm one, the laminated one. It's gone.
- Which one were you saying was missing? - The 5mm's are almost all gone.
The stainless steel sheet with the elephant skin pattern is gone too.
The laminated ones... The racks are almost all empty.
- Is everything okay, Luís? - All good.
Hello! Hi, Maria Helena. Yeah, we're here.
This is the bit we've started on.
Ha, okay! It's wonderful, no?
- Good, everyone's here! Are they all here? - Yes, like you asked.
Ha, let me take a look!
Fernando, how are you?
- Everything okay? - Yes, thank you.
Let me see who's here. Oh, I know him! It's Hermínio! How are you?
Your knee is doing better? Yeah? Wonderful!
Where's Sandra? Let me look at her! How are you, dear?
I want to know when I'm going to see your daughter's concert. So, when is it?
- It's being booked, I'm not sure yet... - You have to invite me, okay?
I want to be there! It's not everyday you find talent like hers!
Good morning!
So we're here to talk to you a bit before resuming our work.
We've already been informed about what happened in the last few hours.
And so I'd like to introduce you to two people that will join our team.
They'll help us with this situation and calm you down a bit,
so we can go back to work in peace and produce all that needs to be done.
- I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Luís... - Good afternoon!
He'll be the Production Engineer, assuming the management of the works.
He'll be here for you, to answer any doubts, organize,
and with your input decide on what needs to be taken care of.
I'd also like to introduce you to Ms. Marta, a human resources manager,
who will want to get to know you. She's joining us too.
She will be working closely with you.
Situations like these end up bringing people together.
We will take this opportunity to make the team stronger,
so that everyone's happy and we can start producing again, right?
For us it's extremely important to resume production, as you know.
Some machines have been relocated...
- But relocated to where? - To other units.
- Like my machine? - Yeah, but don't worry.
You'll get to work on another machine.
That's what we'll be figuring out: who's going to do what inside the company.
Ma'am, sorry to interrupt, but...
Mr. Arlindo was here. We asked him...
He was also surprised that there were no machines too.
Arlindo was being relocated, so he couldn't have known.
- But in the middle of the night? - No, it was just outside business hours.
I don't see how tomorrow...
...no matter how well-intentioned and skilful Mr. Luís is,
it's going to be hard. I don't understand how this could just come out of nowhere.
No, it's worrying, no doubt! The international situation is worrying.
You know there's an international crisis in civil engineering.
And when that happens, you can't sell lifts.
It's math! If we don't reformulate and unite as a team
to solve this problem together, we can't move forward.
It's in our best interest to sell our products.
It's indeed a time for change and reformulation.
Let's meet and talk about it.
We are not interested in causing you any harm, on the contrary.
We want to find out where your individual potential lies.
So that in the event of any future changes to your jobs
by "changes" I mean little things, readjustments - we can do it together.
When you say readjustments, all I hear is layoffs.
Because if there are no machines for people to work on,
if their jobs are at a standstill... I hear readjustments
and I immediately think of layoffs.
- Allow me, please! - It makes no sense this kind of...
- Listen, the new administration is aware... - We know what's coming.
Listen, we are aware of your problems, which are now are own too.
Right!
So I'm going to ask you all to be reasonable.
We were all acting civil. Let's try to keep that way.
- This day is lost, let's all go home. - You mean without any pay!
Let's all go rest. Tomorrow we'll be here at 8am to start again.
- It's all bullshit! - I'd like to ask you...
- I'd like to ask politely... - You want to fool us. You better just go.
- This meeting is now closed. - Just go! Leave us alone!
- Why don't you go to comb monkeys in China? - Otherwise we'll have to take drastic measures.
Is that what you want?
Should I call the police? I'd prefer not to.
We're not moving from here.
If we don't leave here together, we'll have to call the authorities.
- We made our position clear. - You can even call the pope.
This is what we're going to change-over. And over there too.
So we'll meet next week and talk about it.
- They come in here... - Are you waiting for the police to come?
Who did that broad think she was talking to, a small boy?
I mean, after a night like the one we had, we have to hear this bullshit.
"We're here to help." All that small talk...
I'd like to know what we're going to do tomorrow with no raw materials.
- Nothing. What are we coming here for? - We have to be here at 8, like they said.
Here's Vasconcelos.
- Hi. - Hi. How are things?
Have you heard, Vasconcelos?
This is absurd. I'm leaving. I don't care.
Calm down, comrades! That might be exactly what they want.
You have to come to work.
Or they can use that as a reason for rightful termination.
We have to be careful with that.
From 8am to 4pm, no matter what you're told by the company,
you keep your work schedule.
Let's decide on the strike pickets, taking into account everyone's private life.
- The ones that can't... - This is not a strike, man!
Okay then! Pickets to survey the factory, to protect your jobs.
Whoever can't, due to their personal lives or their kids is released.
We'd come up with shifts of three or four people to stay always here.
Because what's important here is to protect the equipment.
Exactly. You can count on me.
I'm a bit concerned that having the union here...
I'm not saying we should decline your help, but...
I'm just afraid that having the union here at 8am tomorrow
when the administration arrives, might give them the wrong idea.
- Rui man! Yeah, I'll stay. I'm not going. - From 8am to 5pm
Vasconcelos, from 5pm to midnight tomorrow doesn't work for me.
No? What would fit you then?
From midnight to 8am tonight.
Que cazzo! Essa porra de merda!
A spectre is haunting Europe. The spectre of its ending.
If modernity gauged everything by the archaic backwardness
from which it should get us rid of.
From now on, everything will be gauged by its imminent collapse.
The current crisis, permanent and omnilateral,
is no longer the classic crisis, a decisive moment.
On the contrary, it is an endless end. Sustainable apocalypse.
An indefinite suspension. Efficacious deferment of collective sinking.
And given this, a permanent state of exception.
Two hundred years ago the elites of Europe and its colonial projections
accepted with open arms the end of slavery.
That was only due to the fact that capitalism started
offering an abundance of much cheaper and skilled labour:
Millions of human beings willing to give away a major chunk of their life time
so that they can gain the freedom to buy things.
But today, when a tragic surplus of workers flood European borders,
in what turned into an unprecedented human catastrophe,
it is the very engine of capitalism: human work,
that, no matter where you look at it, is becoming unsustainable and obsolete.
- Goal! - Jaime!
Jaime, come help Joaquim.
Come on! We're taking a rabbit here.
One more.
Cut its ears off!
Nah, it isn't time for that yet. First we have to tie it up, son.
Then we'll hang it.
And finally we'll flay it. To flay, that's how you say it, right?
You know it now.
You haven't cut its legs yet.
See what you'll look like in a bit?
Look!
This is what you'll look like.
I mean...
- What about the brain? Do you eat it? - It's huge, this one!
It's really gross!
It's been a while since I've skinned one this big.
It stinks. Now it's really going to stink.
- Is that the small intestine? - It's everything.
The large intestine.
The heart. The liver.
Some people won't agree with me...
...in the hands of the government, because that is the only way
to not only keep these strategic companies, like PT and others, in Portugal,
but also in regard to dividends,
because these companies' profits would belong to the government...
...based on what's been happening in the banking sector.
Because it's managed in a liberal way and it results in these...
I was going to use a word, but I won't...
...scams, okay.
But to repeat myself again:
I agree with and wished that it would stay in the country, yes...
But belonging to the government, if not totally, at least for the most part.
I have only two minutes left.
Next on the line we have Elisa Araújo, from Corroios.
I'm going to keep it short. This is just unbelievable.
The President, who has been living off of the taxpayers his whole life.
It takes a lot of nerve for him to now come asking...
We, the taxpayers, are the ones who should be asking him about his actions.
Hi!
You're just lying there in the dark? What a mess!
- You've just got in? - Yeah.
Are my hands cold?
- Have you seen Mogli? - No, where have you left him?
He's with my dad.
Check this!
What have you done to your hair?
You've turned blond now?
So, do you like it?
Yeah.
Yeah, right!
But I also liked it the way it was before.
- Who's going to pick Jaime up? - He'll come.
Move over.
And you?
What happened today?
Will you come help me?
Yeah.
Instead of doing something, I'd scream for help.
And because it was windy, it went from one leg to the other.
It was all over my gloves and my legs. When the thing was put out...
I was in such a state. I thought about my daughters.
"I'm as good as dead. Who will look after them?"
The best thing you can do in these cases is to put a cloth over it.
But when you're in a panic you can't think straight!
No, all you can think to do is to run around going “Where are you? Come and help me!"
All I thought about were my daughters. "What will be of the poor things?"
At least you thought about nice things.
When I got home and told my husband, he just shook his head in disbelief.
- You're good at running from the police. - Always, I'm the first to run away.
- You're a crook! - Have you seen him running?
He was like Rosa Mota.
- Me, always running. - You're running from the police?
He just goes and leaves us here.
- Let him be. He won't be missed. - I'm back.
You are? A lot we care!
That's okay.
What I really wanted was to give you a piece of wood.
Morning, guys.
Good morning.
- Good morning, lads. - Good morning.
- This is it! - Such a cheater, you are.
You can't play anymore either.
- It's always the same people winning. - Pure luck. I don't know how to play.
Gentlemen please, what is this?
- You should be at your machines. - That's all we needed.
With you here playing, they'll say that you're slacking off.
We'll probably all be sacked, but I'll go first.
There's a camera, there's another one. They see everything upstairs.
Have you been paid yet? Because we haven't.
- Nobody has been paid yet, that I know of. - Ha, see? Keep calm then.
We've been told to stay at our machines.
Eight hours there? Doing what? Am I supposed to stare?
Rui, it is our working time. Doing dunno what, but you should be there.
- What have I done to deserve this guy? - You're making things even harder.
- Shut up for a bit. - Watch out.
Sorry to interrupt. I need to speak to Mr. Carlos Santos.
Mr. Santos, will you come with me, please?
Thank you. See you.
What does this woman want?
It'll only take a couple of minutes. Fifteen at the most. That should be enough.
We'll talk upstairs where it's quieter. But we'll be done before lunch.
Mr. Ricardo Gonçalves.
Will you come with me, please? Thank you.
Excuse me.
So what?
- Tell us what happened. - What did she tell you?
- Goddammit, speak! - Has the cat got your tongue?
We want to know.
- Did they make a proposal? - You haven't signed anything, right?
- What have you done? - We're completely fucked.
- What do you mean? - They want to close the factory.
Sons of bitches, motherfuckers!
What did they say exactly? What do they want?
- Mutual parting, indemnities. - Have you signed anything?
- Don't fall for that. - Look, Ricardo is here.
Hey, Ricardo!
What's going on? What is he doing?
- Ricardo! - Wait, is he taking his clothes off?
He has just signed.
So, Ricardo! You're leaving and you don't say a word?
Do you see the bloody shit that's going on here!
There are two or three guys up there who will make a lot of money off of us.
And then there are guys like you, who have been here for a couples of days
and will cave in for some peanuts.
- For us it isn't just peanuts. - Listen...
- How many years have you worked here for? - Nine.
Nine? That man has been here for 32.
Whatever.
What can I do alone?
- What? - Dunno, you go on to live your life.
Sure isn't you who wants to go and live yours?
I'm not signing any goddamn paper. I'm staying.
Me, him, and that one are staying for sure. Are you? Are you staying or not?
And you?
- I'd like to speak to Mr. José Vargas. - I think he's over there.
- Mr. José Vargas! - Yes?
Will you come with me, please?
Promise me you won't sign anything. At least you promise me that.
Or we are all fucked.
Do you see what the hell they're doing to us?
Do you see this shit, or not?
Don't you see it? These guys are ravaging all this.
Fuck! Shit!
They're ruining it all for us, fuck!
There are three or four guys upstairs calling the shots,
plenty of money, and us here... Fuck! What are we going to do? Bloody shit!
- Hermínio. - Fuck this!
It's all fucked! All fucked!
Let me see if I can find your sheet, Mr. José Vargas. Here it is.
I'm sure your colleagues have told you what this talk is about.
- Sort of. - Okay. We'll talk the two of us now.
I'll explain to you at length what's going on.
Our company is going through a really rough moment.
As you must have noticed.
Orders have taken a sharp dive. They don't cover our costs.
- We've been getting a lot of orders... - Some, yes. But not enough.
Not enough to cover our costs. You just have to look around you.
Besides, people buying lifts can go to China and pay a third less.
We want to cover the essentials, but to do that we must make sacrifices.
You must have some projects. You're very young.
I'd like for you to see this moment of crisis and change
change is always part of it - as a moment of opportunity.
As an opportunity to jump into a new project.
I don't know if you have a family, kids...
What we have to offer you is a mutual parting.
That would include a severance package, obviously.
Your basic salary times nine.
Moreover...
...this offer, which is very ambitious and I'm very happy to present it to you,
includes a three-months notice compensation.
That sum will be rounded up to 10,000.
What do you think?
Good morning! Is Carla in?
- Yes. Good morning! - Nice to meet you.
- Do you have an appointment? - I don't. May I?
- What would you like to do? - A French manicure.
That I can't, because we don't do traditional manicures.
But for a simpler look...
...we can use a more natural color, a light pink maybe.
Okay, I'll trust you. This product is so cold!
My hands were already cold, because it's freezing outside.
You must find this cold hard to deal with.
- No. Not really. - You're not from here, are you?
- No, I'm not. - Right.
- But you've been here for a while now? - Yes, I've got used to it.
I've been here for a few years with my son.
You can't tell by your accent or anything.
How do you know?
Carla, I work at your husband's company.
I've been talking to a lot of families.
Of course this affects not just the workers, but their families too.
And this is why I came to talk to you. Women are much more practical than men.
I'll get straight to the point, Carla. The factory is unsustainable right now.
Which means your husband will lose his job, and so will the other associates.
It's very hard to take all this in. It's been tough for us too at the services.
Which is why we're doing whatever it takes to give as much money as possible to people.
So that they don't have to worry about money for a while.
You should talk to him, as a woman.
What I think is that Zé should decide what he wants to do.
I don't think you're quite getting what I'm trying to say.
Right now there's money.
Soon there might not be any money, you see?
If the company becomes insolvent - that's option 1-
If the workers continue behaving like they have been lately...
- Do you want round or square tips? - Round, please. Thank you.
I want to make a radical statement.
The welfare state died the day the Berlin Wall fell.
Because the welfare state, like the New Deal was an ideological attitude.
It was a response to the so-called Soviet bloc.
With the so-called Soviet bloc gone,
there is no longer any use in rubbing ointment in the back of the poor.
Go to hell now! Go fuck yourselves!
Society will have thousands of marginalized people.
Society will work at three speeds:
The guys who are high up in the stratosphere.
A middle class composed of consumers to keep the machine working.
An the rest? Sewage.
Do you remember what Brazilian society used to be like?
It was middle class isolated in a private condo,
with a private security guard, private healthcare, private schools.
- And the rest? - But Brazil put an end to hunger!
But to put an end to hunger in Brazil, you get hunger here.
No, things were distributed differently. There was a redistribution.
And ending hunger is the first thing when it comes to people's dignity.
Note that systematic relocation of all production into China,
Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Also there is some benefit from it. People sure benefited from it.
So much so that thousands of Chinese people now own a car,
smoke cigarettes and live surrounded by a cloud of pollution.
We've paid a steep price indeed,
but almost a billion people were saved from hunger.
Okay, I'm going to make it a bit harder now. I'm not sure you're getting it yet.
So there's a white shark here.
The question is how do you get in here and smash their hiding place?
I go in with my bomb...
"You're dying, sucker!"
- How do you escape, though? - I jump here.
Because this person already knows that the shot came from here
and has called the cops.
- I'll jump on this wall. - But that's a bit far away.
They're shooting at me and I, with my...
No, I start shooting at the ground and, as I'm doing that, it goes up.
Oh, you're floating in the air because you're shooting down?
That's cool!
Or we could have a helicopter waiting here.
A bomb helicopter.
This was the president. It was Armpit Silva.
Armpit Silva? I don't know if that was him. It was just some guy you wanted to destroy.
And that was Armpit Silva.
Shouldn't you be putting your clothes on instead of taking them off?
I'm taking some holidays.
Holidays?
You're taking holidays at a time like this?
You've taken their offer, haven't you?
- Go fuck yourself! - How much have they given you?
At least tell us that. How much?
- Tell us! - Is it good money at least?
Is it good money at least?
Go fuck yourself, really! What the fuck? After all we've talked about.
Rui, calm down.
I can't believe this shit.
Boris, fuck!
I mean, everyone is jumping ship.
Who's staying?
If we all leave, how are we going to defend our jobs?
You're only thinking of yourself, right? What about the rest of us?
- Me, Hermínio, João, António. - What are you going to do?
- Have you found another job yet? - I'm taking some days off.
You don't give a shit about us, right?
They must have paid you wonderfully, for you to be off like this.
Just go! Go!
Thank you for nothing!
Hermínio! Come and see something.
What the fuck is this?
I'd like to know who the fucker was.
Go clean that shit up on the door. Or I'll jam this up your ass. Quick!
- What are you talking about? - The list you wrote on the door. Go!
How come you have 123,000 Euros in front of your name?
Why don't you ask this man? Go clean it up!
- What list are you talking about? - Go clean that shit up before leaving.
Why won't you? Wasn't it you who wrote it?
- Hermínio, explain to us... - Listen, it was you that made the list.
- Leave the boy alone. It was me, not him. - And why the hell have you done it?
And why the hell haven't you told us that you were offered 123,000 Euros?
- Do you think I've taken it? - I don't know.
- Have you? - No. I didn't.
- How can we be sure you haven't, though? - You only have my word.
That doesn't amount to much. You didn't tell us before about the offer.
No, you only know they called me, like they did with everyone else.
- But why didn't you tell us? - Because the offer was too tempting.
- Why haven't you told us? - I don't have to say anything!
- Who do you think you're fooling? - What? I'm not fooling anyone!
- What about you? Who are you fooling? - You're the one doing the fooling here.
- How do you get to that amount? - I didn't. And how did you get there?
We didn't get to your number. There must be something behind this.
- Oh yeah? It couldn't be made up, could it? - I don't know.
- Tell me, is it true, or not? - What?
- That amount? Yes or no? Yes or no! - They offered me around 123,000 Euros!
They did and I didn't take it! I didn't sign it!
I didn't Si... didn't sign, period.
- No need to get nervous, unless... - You were the one who pushed me.
You know why? Because you were saying that you didn't know anything.
- I'm not crazy. - You were the one that started pushing.
- I haven't harmed anyone. - Now you'll hear me out. You've arrived here...
You're trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
- You're lying through your teeth. - Go away, man!
Calm down!
Just tell me something.
Just tell me this one thing.
- I don't know how much they offered you... - Fuck, I trusted you!
- How much have they paid you? - We'll see who will sign last.
- Sure. - Thank you.
- Hi, Vera. - Hi.
Get me a pork sandwich and a small beer, please.
Excuse me...
- Do you work at this factory? - Yes.
I heard that this factory is not running.
People are working, but not producing.
I'd love to go in and see what's happening...
Do you know how I could get in?
- Where? - In the factory.
Look, I've no idea. I don't know.
But, do I have to ask for permission?
Because, you know, for me it's important, as I'm working on this crisis in Europe...
- Boris! - How's it going, Zé?
Just have a beer. Vera, get us another beer, please.
What's up, man?
I'm leaving, I've decided.
- What the fuck are you going to do? - I'm fed up, man. I'm leaving.
- What about next year? - Next year I could be in Asia.
Chilling in Laos, you know?
Better do it now. What am I doing here? Paying a rent, coming to work everyday.
And you? Are you staying here? Just waiting?
- What was William showing you? - Nothing. We were just playing soccer.
- You okay? - What? Yeah.
- Your girlfriend hasn't come today? - I don't have a girl. And she hasn't come.
Yeah, you don't have a girlfriend...
- Do you want to go fishing? - Yes.
- Is this how you treat your helmet? - No.
You damn kid...
If your dad was here, you'd be getting...
But you're not my dad...
I might not be your dad, but I can also do some ass kicking.
Do you catch anything when you go fishing?
Sometimes we do.
- We see some, but we can't catch them. - They're too wise, the fish here.
- There are probably not a lot of them. - Yes, there are. Plenty.
But they're smart.
- They feed at Soda Póvoa's sewer. - Dirty pigs. Gross.
- Do you think we're going to catch them? - No.
I think they'll eat all our bait, though.
- How many worms? - As many as we give them, they'll eat it.
Little bastards!
They eat the worms and don't get caught in the hook.
- They're really smart! - Yes they are.
They are the teenage mutant ninja fish.
Merci, merci.
- Et tu? Merci. - Merci.
- We're going to die! Oh yeah. - Calm down...
We're going to die. We're going to die, oh yeah.
We're going to die.
There's something here... That people seem to agree on.
- Which is defending our jobs. - That's a shared concern, yeah.
But before that group of people can go to the administration with that,
we have to first figure out how we're going to defend our jobs.
And I suggest: 1-strike, 2-occupation,
3- keeping the administration from coming in.
We occupy the factory, it becomes our responsibility.
I wouldn't do that for now.
Soon the police would come.
It doesn't matter.
Right now the factory is as ours as it is theirs.
Okay, we are their creditors, but...
Fernando is always going "don't gather, don't speak to each other",
"go to your workstations, be at your machines."
And we're taking orders from a bunch of people who want to kick us out,
move this factory elsewhere, and shit on us.
Yeah. And you want to do what?
A strike is basically refusing... Calm down. Fuck, let me finish!
- Let him talk. - Fuck, let me finish my opinion!
But, strike on nothing means what?
The moment we occupy this factory and stop obeying their orders...
- You'll be fired. - Fired? Why?
Because you're striking. You're not coming to work.
Since when they can fire you for striking?
But you have nothing already as it is, António.
- If I get sacked, I won't have anything at all. - This is a position of strength.
That hawk-like tactic will get me sacked.
You already have to be here during your working hours. Listen...
No, sorry, now let me talk... It's my turn.
I have people at home who need special care.
I can't be here forever, striking for nothing.
We're not even running. What are we striking for?
We have no raw materials...
Precisely, we're demanding that the factory starts running again.
You have to realize that if there's no work, there's no strike.
- Good morning, guys. - Good morning.
So, how are things? Any news?
Can I say something?
I'll give you my opinion.
I'm with you all. Let's fight to the bitter end.
I agree with you. They've torn our flesh, broke our bones.
They have to... Well, you know, we're all here, right.
But, in my case, my husband will lose his job too.
We have three daughters. They...
I don't want it to be a secret and get accused of being fake.
They offered me 10,000 Euros too. I only want to say that...
If you don't find me here one of these days,
you'll know I took the deal because I see no other way out for me.
You may ask: "What are you going to do with 10,000?",
but if tomorrow there's no food for my kids, and I have the 10,000,
they'll get fed and the day after too. An later we'll see.
- You'll have nothing in a year. - But the 10,000 will be gone.
I cannot reason based on a year from now. My daughters will be hungry tomorrow.
If you're willing to fight with me, I'll consider giving it some more time.
But if they're crying at home, what am I supposed to tell my daughters?
"Mom, why haven't you accepted the 10,000?"
Now I have to speak: all I can see is that you people have no dignity.
You're willing to sell your dignity for 10,000 Euros?
Better to have some dignity and fall standing up.
How are you going to feed your daughters in a year?
- Can my daughters be fed on dignity? - What about my kids? Can they?
You're not willing to sacrifice for your kids.
Keep the dignity to yourself.
What is dignity for them? Kneeling down at your feet, crying for food?
Fighting like this we won't reach any consensus.
There's no consensus about the money you're getting or not getting.
- I don't give a shit... - That's what I'm telling...
I couldn't give a shit about the money. I don't want severance pay. I want to work.
I'm with António, I want to work. I'm with Smith, I want to work.
I'm with all of you.
- We're in a position to demand a strike. - Isn't that premature?
It's not. That's what they say.
What your comrade is trying to say... Calm down, please...
Is that a strike isn't about being at your workstations.
It means showing unity in front of the gate and protecting the factory.
It's a form of activism that shows to the administration that you are...
- ...proving they're right. - No! It's not that!
No, it's a show of revolt and unity.
What is the point of striking if the factory is not running?
They've just told you that they can't sack you if you're striking.
Although they can, if we keep doing like this.
You've gone on strike with operators in other factories, right?
What happened to them? I'd like to know.
In every strike we've organized...
...workers succeeded in securing and maintaining those rights,
sometimes even getting a raise.
- Often they've managed to keep their jobs. - Ah! "Often."
- What about occupation? - Now, occupation is an illegal form.
- We have to be careful with that. - That's my point.
But if you think that's the way to go, that's up to you. It's your responsibility.
Let's see. Life has taught us some things. What we're doing today is occupying, or not?
- Maybe we are. We are occupying a space. - Do we have to call it like that, though?
Let's call it a general meeting of workers.
But what if they call the police, what then?
- We'll be here. - We'll stick to our words.
Yeah, but we'll have to leave, right? I don't get it.
- A strike will make occupation stronger. - Let's vote?
- What do we want? - Work.
Well, a strike is the ultimate working tool.
Strike and occupation!
They don't give any incentives to anyone. That's it, man.
The only incentive I see around here...
...is "got fired,""got fired," "close the factory,""get fired."
"We're not paying anyone." "Oh, it's..." - what do they call it? -
"It's insolvency." But where's the dough?
The other ones kept the dough. These ones have paid at least.
Where's the dough? Insolvency? "It's a case of insolvency."
Really? How are they driving around in Mercedes and it's an insolvency?
I had to leave. I left 22,000 Euros behind.
I've been waiting until now. They don't give me a yes or no.
When I talk to them on the phone, they say they'll pay.
But they don't tell me when I can go get the money.
It's there! They have my 22,000.
And they are still running.
The only way for us to have any work,
would be if they built something big, like a bridge.
There was going to be a new bridge over the Tejo.
A bridge or an airport, for example, would bring a lot of work.
A new refinery, which we need. Ours is busted.
But they won't do any of that. Why? Because there are no investors.
No investors, no construction.
Which is why things went downhill around here.
Twenty years ago there were easily 30, 40 to 50,000 jobs in Póvoa.
- It's all gone. - Even more.
Póvoa was a huge centre. Now it's like this.
You can't do anything. I can't do anything either.
I can talk. If they don't smother me, that is.
But it's not when we want to talk or think about speaking our mind,
it's when they give you your turn.
And how do you imagine your future?
It's when you need it the most, when you're reaching old age,
that the country went bust.
What about my contributions?
And the 17 years I worked in Machado's bakery?
And the three years I was in the military? Doesn't that count for something?
I've contributed for 31 years. What for?
I'm 50 now, almost 51.
From 51 to 67, there are still 17 years left.
I will have been dead for 20 years then.
I've been working since I know myself.
I worked as a kid and went to elementary school.
Besides that I helped out my father cutting wood.
I left school at 14, about to turn 15,
and I worked for about three years as an assistant sawyer.
It was my father who taught me that job.
This lasted until I was 18 or 19.
Around then I was unemployed for two years.
That is when I came to live in the Lisbon area.
I've been pretty much everywhere since then.
From the National Soap Factory, formerly known as SNS,
to ceramics, fibreglass...
- Good morning, gentlemen. - Good morning.
- You're out here? What's going on? - You can't come in today.
Listen, everyone has the right to strike. It's not what this factory needs, though.
This factory is in a bad moment. And that's exactly why we are here.
- With all my respect... - Don't interrupt me, please.
If you want to strike, that's fine, but that's worse for the factory.
So go ahead and strike, but we'll keep doing our jobs. Excuse me...
I'm sorry but you're not coming in today.
- There will be consequences to this. - We are willing to accept those consequences.
You're verging into illegality, you know that.
- You can go through all the normal procedures... - Sure we'll advance with the normal procedures.
Now what?
What's going on?
The people from the administration are down there. Big mess. Let's go.
- Excuse me. - You can't come in.
- With all due respect, you're not coming in. - We don't have our salaries neither our work!
There's no need to raise your voice.
We're going in like we usually do. In a civilized orderly manner.
We have already told you that you're not coming in.
But you don't have the power to forbid the administration from going in.
- We have decided to not let anyone in. - You, gentleman, have decided?
- So this is in fact an occupation of the premises? - Yes, it is.
Well, I think we should just go, then. There's nothing left to do here.
- Good riddance! - We know what you long for...
- He's taking photos. - Where's the money?
Where's the work?
Mr. Luís, come inside.
What are you taking photos for, you fucking bastard?
Want to take pics of monkeys?
I'm afraid we are not acquainted! You don't have the right to speak like that.
If you're looking for monkeys, go to a zoo.
- Nice attitude! - Get the fuck out of here.
The authorities will deal with you. And with the others as well.
Let's go.
I think you should try to have like a romantic date.
To light some candles. Put on that lingerie.
Try to make that lasagne he likes. Hein?
Dish out the lasagne in your lingerie.
A surprise like that, you know? It will always let the guy defenceless.
Well... I can try that...
- High heels! I have some. - We wear the same number.
- Okay. You'll lend them to me. - I knew you would say that.
Cause you think the apron possibility is...
- ...is the thing? - I think so. Something to get it moving.
To get you moving? Want to come over?
Not me. The relationship. To get it moving.
To turn things around. To make things different.
To surprise the other person, you know?
What if they don't get surprised, what then?
But they what? Got married?
Do you think they'll get married?
You don't even need to get married anymore! They do whatever they want now.
And chicks are even worse!
Yeah. But when I say "getting married"...
...I mean making a life together.
Do you think they'd be interested in that, knowing that...
...they can count on food and clean laundry?
They wouldn't give a shit about the food, if that could get rid of you!
Up for some "Suecada"?
Of all the fado singers, the one I dig the most is António Severino.
I don't like to listen to Camané sing.
- I like to listen to Ana Moura. - Give us your best looking Trump.
Mafalda Arnauth. I dig her too.
You two are cheaters.
He messed up the deck.
You got the Aces too. You got it all.
- It's his deck. He knows the broads inside out. - Keep the spade for yourself.
Eehh! Look who's here.
- Game over. - Is that the police?
Let's go and see what's up.
- There's a complaint, you're keeping them out. - No, we're keeping them from taking...
We are all creditors of this administration. And they're trying to...
That doesn't give you the right to keep them out.
As you have no right to come in here and ask for our ID, without a proper order.
Without a written authorization, or someone from the administration explaining things.
They told me to wait for the lawyer and that's what I'm doing.
- Officer, please try to keep calm. - I need the ID of only one of you.
I think this is an illegal act on the part of the...
What do you mean illegal? You're keeping me from doing my job.
- Your work is incomplete. - I need a document that...
You're inside private property. We are in our workplace.
Don't argue. It's unbelievable! We're here trying to do our jobs...
- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.
- Are you these gentlemen's lawyer? - Yes.
- Do you have your ID? Can I see it? - Yes, you can.
We received a complaint saying that these gentlemen
were keeping the rightful owners of this compound from coming in.
We have been instructed by our commander to file a report
since this constitutes trespassing and assault.
- Do you have that complaint with you? - No, we received orders.
This all sounds really strange to me. In fact, if there's any illegality going on,
I'd say it's starts with your presence, taking down all this information about this workers.
As police officers, upon receiving a complaint,
we have the right to go check what's happening.
- Of course, but you shouldn't have passed that gate. - The gate was open.
This morning I've requested a preliminary injunction at the labour court
to keep these assets from being removed.
Right now, with the case running in court, this is no longer a public-order crime...
- I see some illegal procedures here. - Well then, I'm going to talk to my commander.
Pereira, will you please write down... Excuse me.
You have asked for everyone's IDs, right, Pereira?
- Yeah. - Okay, good.
Gentleman, we will look into this situation. Thank you all for your time.
Good afternoon. Let's go?
Have a good day.
- Where's the wine? - I didn't bring any wine.
It's coming on crutches.
What's with the long face?
This conversation is making me sick.
- You're not having lunch? - I've filled up on this conversation.
My belly's full.
That's gross! What are you eating? Blacks sure do eat nasty things.
- Is that a bit of pork with hair on it? - You don't know what's good.
When hunger comes, lots of people will die, you'll see.
- Are you getting the wine? - Yeah, somebody has to do it.
- Bring me some. I'm really thirsty. - I want some too.
- It's cold but it's actually hot. - Pass me your glass.
Do you think he heard us?
Do you think we can stop by any store?
- Stop by any store? - Yes.
- I'd like to look at the sales. - Okay.
Jaime!
Stay closer.
Look those tennis!
They are closing.
Are they closing?
They'll sell everything.
Are you sleeping?
Yeah.
I've been thinking...
...and I want to leave this place.
You heard what I said?
You want to leave and go where?
I want to go back.
- It's done. - You did it?
You can turn it off then.
- May I? - Do.
We'll do the pillowcases real quick.
Let me get them.
You can't forget to put a cross on the room, remember?
"Classic." That's it.
The room key card.
- Can you put the towel there, please? - Yes.
The mirror and the sanitary ware, right?
Oh, I forgot. It's really important to replace all amenities.
Replace them all, even if they haven't been used.
"Vatapá"
Throw in some cashews, a little bit more chilli pepper, a little bit more
Some cashews, a little bit more chilli pepper, a little bit more
Peanut, shrimp, shred some coconut When it's time to mash
Salt with ginger and onion, oh mistress When it's time to season
I can't remember the rest.
What about Zé?
Zé?
- What's inside? - Banana liqueur.
Good morning.
We're here to see someone from the administration at Fortileva.
- I don't know the floor. If you could... - Tenth floor. The lifts are over there.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
We'd like to speak to someone from Fortileva's administration.
There's no one in at the moment.
- But isn't this the place? - Correct.
Didn't you hear me say that there's no one in?
My friend, we came to talk to the administration of Fortileva
and we're not leaving until someone shows up.
- But can't you see there's no one here? - It's okay, we'll wait.
You can wait all you want, but no one will show up.
Make yourselves at home.
Capitalism exists to create surplus value, profit.
Profit only exists as a part of value.
Value is created by living human work.
Machines don't create value.
And all technological evolution tends to replace human labour power with machines.
Things have been developing this way since the beginning,
and have taken on enormous proportions in the last decades.
And this is the basic contradiction from which we can't escape.
No capitalist strategy can truly solve this problem.
We need to let go of this idea that capitalism
means the domination of one class over another,
that exploits another class for its own benefit.
This would be a morally reprehensible enterprise,
but completely rational,
at least from the point of view of that which engages in it.
This is only the first level of what is happening.
Behind it, there's a completely irrational system.
A system that is virtually founded on the transformation of all activity
into human labour, that is, in the expenditure of human energy
without any regard for its content. It's a machine that runs completely
in a void and stays completely indifferent to all content.
Hello! Hello Richard.
I have bad reception here...
Yes! Good morning, listen...
Yeah, all good.
I found it... Yes.
I found the factory we needed.
And some workers that are occupying that factory.
- Can you go a little bit faster? - You put your finger here...
And the drawings are kept here. The blueprints...
I'd never seen this. That's interesting.
They're blueprints!
- This is the factory, right? - Exactly. This is here.
And that is the machine room. See there? "Machine room."
- Chelas. Coruche. - No, this is...
Come on, help me put this in here.
You've been talking a lot about land, real estate and money,
which is something I need.
I think I'm going to have to get an odd job.
Being here for a month doing nothing, I cannot handle it.
- I can fix you up, but... - I can't take this anymore.
So we have here Bolivia, La Paz, which is ruled by Evo Morales.
He's an Indian who managed to become president.
- His ancestry really is... - How do you know all of these things?
I don't know. I have to know something.
Since I'm a dummy financially, money wants nothing to do with me.
So I unload my intellectual frustration on these statistics and geography.
- Maybe your knowledge will rub off on me. - You won't learn anything from me!
You can learn this pointless stuff, though. Here's Canada. Ottawa is the capital.
This is everything very nice and all, but one has bills to pay.
- Kids' school and college... - Okay, but are we just going to give up?
Are we going to let...? After all the time we've been here,
What if something decent came along? What would you do?
- I'm sure you wouldn't think twice. - No.
I'm not talking about things you do just because.
I mean things you're passionate about.
What I really love to do is Boxing.
What are you focused on...
- ...when you're facing the other guy? - Just this.
- Striking him? Or what? - Striking him, of course.
I'm focusing on the moment he'll make a mistake
and open up his defence.
And then I can go in.
I look out for when he lets his guard down, or when he gets closer.
I like to always be at a distance from them, to give them space.
- Don't you ever think you can hurt them? - That's the idea, sometimes.
Here, our...
...our boss seemed to do his homework. I don't know what.
- But he wouldn't explain anything to us. - Let me see what else we have here.
To cleanse his soul, he gave money to the Firefly Operation or something.
Ha, the Magical Firefly, right!
That's not so bad. It was a way to atone for his sins.
Since he was a bastard with us guys, he would resort to...
...he would resort to these clichés of being a Good Samaritan
and donating money. Not that this costs much.
When he wanted to fuck us over, I bet he'd talk to the fish.
"You're going to pay for it!" - At least the fish won't answer back.
No, they would accept everything.
And would be content with being fed.
Tomorrow, I'll bring them some food. The poor...
If the fish die, we might get accused of a terrorist attack.
What about trying to find an investor? With your connections...
I think all of us together should go looking for someone.
We shouldn't put ourselves in other people's hands again.
Then there's the legal problem of establishing ownership.
- What? I didn't get what you said. - I mean, the ownership of all this…
- What problem? It's our factory. Period. - Fair enough...
- Let's assume that. - Let's assume it. For now we're here.
We would manage this internally...
And if we find a client that accepts our conditions,
...we'll try to get a bank to finance us.
I couldn't sleep, I couldn't do anything. I just thought "I have to go the hospital."
They took an X-ray there and it turned out my bone was all broken.
I was...
It took me three months to...
You know I used to work...
Excuse me. Sorry!
That's all you have to tell?
- We have so much more. - What else do you want?
Can you speak of something else?
- I didn't quite get that. - Can you talk about another argument?
- Another subject? Let's see. What is it? - Some excitement. Liveliness please!
We're all warm here. Let's talk about other subjects then.
Let's do it then. Once, I worked in the soap factory in Cabo Ruivo.
There was a gentleman like yourself, like you, like anyone.
He had a friend that was his co-worker. He dropped 20 or 30 pallets on me.
Sorry, you had a general assembly, right? What have you decided? What happened?
Can you talk about about the matters of your life, change, future.
- You are picketing now. - We are.
We are guarding the factory, so they won't steal from us.
So, it would be nice if you could talk about something more urgent.
- We were talking about our everyday lives. - What else do you want us to talk about?
So, your discourse is always restrained to the analysis of the logic of domination
inside a factory or unit of production.
Obviously, I also sympathize with workers that have chased away
- their boss and share the profits. - Without a hierarchy...
But if I criticize this idea of self-management it isn't because it's too radical
but because it's not radical enough.
A self-managed, isolated factory is still a market agent,
it's still a unit that should succeed in an anonymous market,
governed by the imperative of money,
of the transformation of money into commodity, value.
- And of commodities into money... - So we never go past commodity fetishism.
It means that factory must succeed in the market. It must succeed in selling.
It must sell at the best price, using as little labour power as possible,
to obtain the maximum surplus value. For instance...
...all ecological constraints become a problem. For a self-managed factory, like for others.
Because capitalist society is characterized precisely by a total indifference
on the part of the producer and the consumer towards the total system.
Every market agents give a shit about what happens to his product.
A self-managed factory...
...is forced to not care either, like all the other agents.
- I understand you. - This is what you've said too, right?
Yes, and I understand your criticism.
But when I say I wouldn't care it's like what I said earlier...
...about the level of poverty and what comes after.
When I said that if I was a worker, I wouldn't care
about what's behind a cell phone or elevator,
I was referring to this stage.
Afterwards it could occur to me: "Why am I making elevators?"
"How are elevators made?" "Why am I making them?"
"What is the point of this?"
Including this ecological...
...more global and political point of view, as well as a more basic commercial sense.
"If there are people making much cheaper elevators...
...what the hell am I...?"
But this is a process. Or can be a process.
But before that happens,
if I have a machine that makes elevators,
I'm going to make a living making elevators.
- Later, I might think. - Cheaper ones...
If I'm hungry, I'll eat any shit I can get my hands on.
Later, I might worry if the chicken has hormones or not.
Look I'm not saying that we should immediately abolish commodity society, etc.
I'm not advocating an excess of radicalism,
but I think that the discourse of self-management
though it can be a useful measure for the workers in the now, I agree -
but it can turn into a big trap, in which we are forced to execute,
against ourselves, the market laws,
which are not natural, but capitalist things.
That means that beyond any immediate usefulness,
on a long-term basis we can't move away from a logic of commodity
focusing only on a particular unit. We truly need a global social solution.
For me the idea is not to form a mass movement that will seize power.
What I think is that the system is already slowly collapsing.
A kind of barbarization has been growing
and the question is how will human beings react to this barbarization.
Will they react with even more barbarism, or by slowly building new alternatives?
What will we do in a crisis situation? Will we grab a gun and shoot our neighbour.
So we can steal his TV and sell it on the black market?
Or will we form a committee with our neighbour
to create a community garden?
These are micro decisions that will turn massive.
Today, you find people whose lives are rooted on an idea of happiness
and of meaning of life that is completely dominated by money, work,
leisure, holidays, consumerism, etc.
In the capitalist system you can have an assembly with the best direct democracy.
But what do people want? They want money and work.
And they're right, because the principles of their social life are founded on that.
They will decide that what they want most is a lot of money
and a parking space under their houses.
So they will fight for that.
Eventually we'll have to get out of this system,
which is already happening. It's not an utopian program for...
There's no work anymore, no valid money.
We are already leaving this system, but we are doing it in a catastrophic way.
- That's the problem. - Anselm?
According to you the capitalist system itself will collapse?
- It is already collapsing. It's not... - It will create the conditions for.
- You think it will collapse on its own? - Yes. Essentially, yes.
- Beyond the will of its agents. - Yes, but...
Sorry...
We've had two crisis recently.
You don't think that they've managed to change the parameters of the game
at a supersonic speed?
No, the only thing that they have done was to add another zero
to the astronomical debt already accumulated.
They have solved a debt problem with more debt.
It's like curing a hangover by drinking a double whisky in the morning.
Okay, but their capacity for mutation has been remarkable, no?
- It depends on the mutation... - For their benefit, obviously. Not ours.
No, because I think we overestimate a certain political power.
Because the true problem, the root problem, is that the only thing that creates...
Well, capitalism exists to create surplus value, profit.
Profit exists only as a part of value.
And value is only created by living human labour, living...
As Marx has shown. Machines don't create value.
All technological evolution tends to replace human labour power with machines.
Things have been this way since the beginning
and have taken on enormous proportions in the last decades.
This is the basic contradiction from which we cannot escape.
No capitalist strategy can truly solve this problem.
I think there are also subjective and psychological issues
- related to work. - Yes, but...
It's not just about alienation. People love producing things.
- The problem isn't work. The problem is... - Are commodities, yes.
No. We need activity, we welcome it. Even when it's tiring.
We call "work" only to what creates market value.
Here's an example we use often:
If we're talking about an older couple, we'll often say:
"He 'works' in a weapons manufacturing company." That's work.
"His wife... She doesn't work.
She takes care of the children and of her father in law."
So that's not work.
So the definition of work has nothing to do with usefulness.
A self-managed factory on the Tejo riverside. At the legionella zone,
it's not a panacea, okay.
But I know that people won't be the same after that experience.
They will be more creative and will have gained new skills.
And, most of all, if things turn out okay - and it'd be great if they did -
they'll understand that maybe you don't have to rely on the government,
or something above us.
That we ourselves can... - in this particular case -
solve our urgent problem of having no money to last until the end of the month.
But maybe this creates a mental structure that opens new horizons
in a way that the fight for ecology and gender equality might not.
That is, I can see - and this is where we might disagree -
an ecologically sustainable capitalism.
I can easily imagine capitalism transforming
and environmental protection itself becoming another industry,
another product or commodity.
I can imagine a capitalism without gender inequality.
I cannot imagine a capitalism without class inequality.
And class inequality is visible in the pockets of those
who accumulate the wealth produced for instance, in these factories.
And if this wealth no longer is accumulated by the boss
and starts being distributed...
...among the workers' pockets.
Though that won't make them equal to the workers from the factory next door,
so there's still class inequality -
I'd say, that opens up new possibilities in a way that the end of the diesel car couldn't.
So I agree with you that the myth of eternal growth
that the system is based on is the biggest criminal,
I'm thinking specifically about the people that lose their jobs when a factory closes.
And I think that a successful attempt at kicking out bosses
and self-managing a factory could ignite something,
serve as an example, and be replicated in other places.
When lots of factories are going through the same thing.
When bosses close the factories and disappear...
Wait a moment! The fact that many factories are closing is not a bad thing.
In itself. It may be a bad thing for the people that work there.
But, in itself, de-industrialisation is not a negative thing.
Like the end of oil is not a negative thing.
For me a critique of capitalism cannot exist without a critique of technology.
We could imagine - maybe it's not doable, but we could imagine it -
a capitalism where there are no capitalists.
Where all property is distributed homeopathically among the workers.
But that was not what the workers from ZANON wanted.
It wasn't simply about self-management in the way that we're discussing it here.
They didn't even want to go in... The Argentine government told them:
"If you set up a cooperative, you can have the factory."
They didn't want a cooperative.
Precisely because it represents what you're saying.
"We all become bosses, we own equal parts of the factory,
and we share the profits."
That's not what they wanted.
A fourth of the Portuguese population lives in poverty, is poor.
These people's main needs and concerns are eating, having a house, the children.
Those are their main needs.
I feel like I have an ethical duty to act here, now.
And this is where it makes sense for us to organize collectively.
When it comes to mistakes, steps, self-managed organization...
People in a collective, they are more intelligent.
When people come together they are always more intelligent.
But on a larger scale... What have we done?
Where the system was found lacking, we volunteered ourselves.
"Hihoo, I'll do it! I'll do it!"
So the system went: "Go ahead! If you can do it, that's fine."
But if this company stays successful, if it's creative, makes money and everything,
I'll give it a year or six months before it's privatized.
Yes but we can't just pretend like nothing is going on.
We can't do anything with what's happening. We stand no chances.
- But we also can't just sit idly watching. - Of course not. We have to build something.
- The answer will be coming from Greece. - I agree, while there's no full-employment...
In three months' time you'll see what will happen to you
if you attempt to...
You've said that already. But when we say...
- Hi, Zé! You're okay? - How's it going, man?
- How are you, António? - Good morning.
- How are things? All good? - Yeah.
- How's it going, son? Everything okay? - Yeah, fine.
- Sit down and have a chestnut with us. - Better sit there where it's dry.
Take some chestnuts.
It needs some salt.
There's salt here.
Put some sugar too.
- Sugar works. - It's good on chestnuts.
You put sugar too? Nah, I have them with just salt.
- What's up, Zé? - Hi.
How are things there? The police has come, right?
And they fucking closed the thing down?
- It's okay. - It's always the same shit.
Always the same shit. They just split and move to other countries
to continue over exploiting like they did here.
That's what happened with Covina, Cimianto, Solvay...
We have to destroy these motherfuckers. It can't go on...
- Look... - They can't continue doing this shit.
Look, I need to borrow some money. Is that possible?
...because capital is international too now. So they go to Europe, Asia, Africa,
where they exploit even more than they did here.
The people need to take action, but not with carnations.
No, carnations won't cut it this time.
Can you get me those 300 Euros, or what?
Listen, come with me.
Come on. Let's go. Take that, it's raining.
And grab those two hoes.
I want to show you something, son. Bring the hoes.
- These two? - Yes. We need both.
It's somewhere around here.
Yeah, it's around here.
Watch out. Spread it out a bit.
- Give me the hoe. - Dig there.
Do you want any help? You're out of practice, man.
What's underneath?
What do you think? You have to dig deeper.
Here, more on this side.
Is this what I think it is?
You thought they were gone?
That they had taken them all?
What am I supposed to do with a machine gun that has been buried for 40 years?
Look man, first off, it isn't just one machine gun. There are several boxes here!
More than enough to make those sons of bitches show some respect.
The people have stop being afraid and these weapons may be of use.
I just wanted you to know that they were here. That's all.
If we don't destroy the 'gorillas', the 'gorillas' will destroy us, man!
Let me cover this shit up.
Goddammit!
That new machine For dissuading furious mobs
Seems like a great illustration Of the society of control
They call it the silent guardian, Who paralyses without killing
Those who carry the most burning desires
A series of beautiful men And women caress me
And I, in the main role, recite a song
So well-rehearsed and memorized
Following the method of the foie gras
That son of the bitch we call love...
when it's real love...
it's unconditional!
The next music is about...
WATER! WATER! Let's drink water!
But put some drug on it.
"No one would want for bread, if this duty was fulfilled:
to be paid in proportion to what is produced."
The sound we grew up with. We've had this band for a long time.
To tell you the truth, we thought we knew it all.
We just played and thought that we owned everything.
...When I was a kid, the Tejo was nothing but fat mullets living in the sewage holes.
Now there are croakers that came to eat the mullets.
Dolphins came to eat the croakers. Now there are dolphins in the Tejo.
- ...In what consists an individual? - ...Flamingos swarm in the Tejo.
Individuals are not a direct emanation from the human nature.
They are the product of a fetishistic system.
Be it a capitalist, feudal, or religious system.
And the population is disappearing. In 2050 there'll be no population.
So there is no free will.
Even the immigrants have left now.
In 2050 there will be six million people. No one is reproducing, you know?
No one! ...And bears in the Gerês park!
Six million old people, whisky, and Iberian lynxes! Is that so bad, man?
That's the best scenario for the nation.
We have to assume extinction and rewilding.
Do you know that...
...that factory occupied by "bobos," the one shaped like an "U"?
- Yes. - Do you know the one?
- The choir practices there. - Oh really?
- But you know what "bobo" means, right? - Yeah.
Bohemian... Bourgeoisie.
...I mean the workers are organized in such a way
that each one passes through the different roles that make up a factory.
They work in production, marketing, administration...
So, each one is a complete worker.
That's what will have to happen at your factory too.
Since there's no management or boss anymore,
the workers will have to organize to run the factory.
- And it won't be easy. - But, you know, Póvoa...
Póvoa de Santa Iria is not Argentina.
- You have a lighter? - The people who work there... They are...
It's totally different.
- But when did you go to Argentina? - 2001.
- 2001? How long did you stay for? - Four months.
- How many months? - Four.
- Have you heard about it? - What?
Danish sperm banks.
No, what's that?
I must tell you that 20% of English women resort to Danish sperm.
What the fuck are you laughing about?
I swear.
Don't you think he has a Danish look?
He looks Danish. He has a Nordic semblance.
Everyone wants kids with that profile. Don't you want to make a donation?
At this time of the night it should be easy enough.
I'd imagine, no?
What about this handsome boy here? What do you say?
- Where are you from? - What?
- Are you a leftist? - Me?
No.
Are you a fascist son of a bitch who comes here...
- ...to show off? - No, not that either.
- But there are only two halves? - Three or so.
Go, go, go!
So we just put everything there. We hid it under the stairs.
We went our separate ways. Then night came.
I don't know if it was my conscience acting up or what,
I'd toss in bed and sweat. I had nightmares and screamed.
Eventually, my mother woke me up and asked me what was wrong.
I was white as a sheet and wouldn't say anything.
My eyes were bulging and I was really pale. She remembers this story to this day.
"What's wrong?" she'd ask.
Of course I was afraid of telling her and being hit.
- What's this? - Is it the phone?
- It sounds like my phone. - That's unexpected!
Indeed.
A practical joke, maybe.
Dammit.
Fortileva, good afternoon.
From where? Argentina?
Yes, we are.
Yes. Si, Si. I understand what you're saying.
What? Yes, we make that.
- What? An order? - An order for what?
Three thousaaaaaaaand...
Three thousand what? Three thousand modules.
Three thousand tilting modules
They want 3000 They'll pay half upfront
They offer a bail And the deadline is fine
For 3000, the deadline must be fine.
If we work, if we work Every single day
They want our information So they can send the agreement
It's an Argentine factory That has no boss
Like we don't either
Oh what good news! Oh what good news!
One can hardly believe it!
352F/567 They want 3000
352F/567 They offer a bail
352F/567 They want 3000
352F/567 They don't have a booooosss
Oh what good news! One can hardly believe it!
What's going on here? Are you all insane?
Just because you got a phone call from Argentina,
you burst out singing?
Has anyone wondered if that's even true?
If that factory has no boss, who is responsible?
In case you've forgotten In case you've forgotten
Ours split
He felt a sudden twinge Cause this factory is a syringe
And now the dough doesn't drip He took every metal strip
In case you've forgotten In case you've forgotten
That dear boss of yours
Left with his leadership Now the dough doesn't drip
This factory is a syringe
In case you've forgotten You were left doing nothing
Doing nothing Doing nothing
Hear the murmur of the machines calling us!
From paper to metal We have the giant in our hands
We are the head of the giant That we have in our hands!
Machine, you aren't rusty yet
You're going to get out of that torpor and go back to work!
Factory! Ditch!
Veins! Neck!
Factory, dig your nails into that ditch
Your neck veins are here, pulsating
Hear us out! Bite into this steel!
Which will die of exhaustion The pavilion will blow up!
From paper to metal We have the giant in our hands
We are the head of the giant That we have in our hands!
Sandra, look here. More to me, please.
And it's not a little lion, it's a lion.
And António, please, less strength more contact. In the circle.
- Okay? - It's okay!
Let's put on your pyjama.
I don't want to put on the pyjama.
Let's take off all this coats...
- Is Jaime sleeping yet? - Yeah.
- Are you making some tea? - Yes.
- Do you know where the matches are? - No.
But I have a lighter on me.
- Are you going to sleep? - Yes.
I'm thinking of going to the pub for a bit.
Is that okay?
I'll be back soon.
I think I rather sleep alone tonight.
I'll sleep in your father's bedroom.
What do we know about managing a company? We have work experience in our areas.
How are we going to manage a factory on our own?
What bank will lend money to a self-managed company,
when all around us companies are closing precisely because they can't get any?
We won't answer for what happened before.
We'll only be responsible for whatever happens in the future.
So the money that will come - and it will come -
will be enough to buy raw materials and to help us kick start this.
I don't see myself working anywhere else.
If you leave the company now, you'll get unemployment.
If you insist on doing this, you'll have to do it for many months...
Where's my unemployment money? I got no letter.
You're entitled to it. The indemnity is gone, though.
It's the only option on the table right now, but it's not the El Dorado.
We don't know what the company's liabilities are. We have to find out.
We don't know how much money comes in.
Someone has to figure out these numbers.
We need answers. Who will give them to us?
There's too much uncertainty. I'm honestly not up for it.
We've lost a lot before. Let's not waste any more.
We've managed to come this far. Let's keep going!
Let's do it slowly and make the best of it.
Look around you! How many attempts at self-management have been successful?
Not a single one in the country. They all went bankrupt.
- That's not true! - What do you mean?
Naturally, I understand everyone's worries and difficulties.
We all feel confused and lost!
We'd like a longer-term solution. We don't have one.
Now, this is the way things are. Let's win people over so that right now
we can study the problem and solve it successfully.
- Yeah... - Let's come up with solutions.
- What solutions? - Calm down! We have some ideas!
We were approached by an Argentine company.
They said that they can offer us a bail
and pay half of the order upfront.
We have to answer them yes or no.
But if we say yes, the question is: how viable is this solution?
Where do we stand in terms of a legal frame?
Why don't we decide that right now? Let's make some kind of decision.
How can this be defined legally?
Where do they transfer the money to? What's the bank account?
I think there's a lot of money involved.
It might be...
...too dangerous for us to try self-management.
With this order you have the chance to start on a self-management path.
You have a possibility to try, with this financial income.
You have a very precious project in your hands.
You are creating a new kind of factory.
Self-managed.
At the same time it is a wider political response to these times.
The European left particularly hasn't managed to give any response
in these years of crisis.
You'll see that things will slowly begin to change.
More importantly, each one of you will get there at your own speed.
But it's a hard road to take.
I think it's hard, real hard.
There has to be other abilities that, like João said, don't exist.
There are a lot of if's, a lot of of's, a lot of us's.
- We've been here for months with no pay. - But there will be money...
There will be money? But money is dangerous.
People will eventually pocket a lot of it...
It won't happen? Who will manage the money?
- All of us. - We are all going to manage the money?
So, we'll all work and manage the money?
Sorry, but I find it hard to laugh with everything that I'm going through.
If there's money available, why don't we hire someone?
An employee like us, but with a degree in management?
- Exactly! - That's not a bad idea.
- Because right now you have zero money. - But we might get some.
If not, there's no point to this anyway.
I believe that in our current situation,
we should form a management committee, and ask Mr. Arlindo, as a production engineer,
for his technical support in managing this place.
That would be the only person coming from the outside,
who could, with his inside knowledge of our problems,
negotiate with the Argentine, so as to clarify the details of this order.
I've had my arm up for some time now. On the matter of Mr. Arlindo coming...
...I won't oppose to it, if the second point we've agreed on is respected.
The one to do with salaries.
Everyone should be paid the same for an hour's work.
If you think that he will come to work here and earn the same as us,
you better forget it. That's pure science fiction.
Do you real believe he would accept to be levelled down? No way.
I think this company will only be viable if we can afford a professional structure
to work in the administrative and financial sides of it.
But that means paying market prices and not bringing people down to our level.
That's the only way to attract competent people.
I'm completely against equal pay.
I'm for it.
- I'm against it. - Equal pay.
- Only to finish this first order. - Everyone the same.
When it comes to establishing a pay scale, what I think is this:
we should make a chart with different salaries...
- But... - Wait. Let me talk! Listen to people.
Let's not get into demagogy, please.
There has not been a single experience in Portugal, not since 1974...
- We'll do this experience here, right now. - It won't be possible.
- We have the opportunity to make it now. - It's not possible at the moment.
I'll give you an example...
- We'll be the example. - Here's the example. All these faces.
Vasconcelos, listen. You'll find the example on all these faces.
We all will be the example.
- But if I am a skilled worker... - But there's other things you can't do.
I'm a skilled worker, which I've been doing for years.
- And why is yours better? - Because it requires certain skills.
- Do I need to draw you a picture? - Is anyone here not a skilled worker?
It's not about giving up or not...
Fucking stop, man!
An hour, five hours just to figure out if we should hire an accountant or not!
On our very first assembly! What are we doing with this?
Where is our responsibility? Where's the example we wanted to become?
And you can go fuck yourself with your Argentinian shit!
What the fuck are you here for?
Wait. Stop, Zé.
Zé, wait.
What happened in there is normal.
People needed to talk about their personal problems.
Are you kidding me? Do you think we're all dummies?
Don't you think I know what's going on? An order that just came out of nowhere?
What's wrong with that?
Why haven't you told them in there that you were behind all this?
It would have been a mistake to mention my relationship with Argentina.
Because self-management is a work of trust, of gaining trust.
People in there have the right to know what's going on
and what they can count on.
In this case, ignorance was harmless. I would even say it was productive.
Fuck you with your ignorance!
We were going to be what? Characters in your...
...neorealist musical?
For you to show to your cinema buddies in France?
"Look how cute they are...
...these Portuguese doing their self-management thing."
Nobody in there wants to run a factory.
What we need is something steady. Money to buy food and pay our bills.
Our kids' school and stuff.
No one here is going to be this...
...historical subject that will take down capitalism.
No matter how much it grosses you out, that's what we are.
We are capitalism.
This bullshit of yours about serving as a reference for the European left...
that leftist talk is the biggest bullshit of all.
If you want to divide the world into two opposing groups,
it's not between the left and the right. It should be…
On one side, there are those who agree with this world and accept it as a whole.
And on the other, there are those who are willing to abnegate...
...comfort, cell phones...
...trips to the moon, Tupperware.
And the sad news I have for you is that no one wants to forgot any of that.
No one is on that side.
And the poorer you are, the faster you want to go over to the other side.
So what's left? The pursuit of happiness? Is that what you believe?
In Love? Good food?
Taking care of some 'us'? Of our loved ones?
World!
You have always done us so much harm.
But we love you.
Light, shadow, heat.
Joy.
Sadness, friendship, hope.
Get born, grow up, smoke joints, work, die.
Roll another one!
Crookery, honesty, memory, fantasy.
- What does that mean? - Nothing.
Bread and wine.
Sausages, milk, goats, cows, pigs.
Mice.
Bears and wolves.
Birds, smoke, trees.
Snow, sea, river.
Disease, cure.
Death, immortality, resurrection.
But now what?
An ephemeral adventure?
Now?
In this space-time and that's it?
And when this is over, we'll see?