A film by Dmitry Vilensky based on the action in public space realized by the workgroup Chto Delat?
A group of Saint-Petersburg artists, intellectuals, and writers came out into one of the central city squares, to become, for a while, the
“sandwichmen” and “sandwichwomen”. Each of them put on two advertising signs. The front one was empty. Language on strike. On the rear sign there were written various puzzling questions concerning the meaning and dignity of labour. The sandwichmen and sandwichwomen were handling newspapers to the passers by. The newspapers were also empty, except for their last page, where all the questions were listed together.
The film is based on the video material of these action and also include the fragments of the interviews made with real the “sandwichmen” and
“sandwichwomen” on the streets of Petersburg that reflects their descriptions of their working conditions and their place in society and
labour structures.
the questions put on placards:
Are you being exploited?
Are you exploiting somebody?
Is exploitation inevitable?
Did you dream of this job when you were a child?
Is work a woman thing?
Is work a man thing?
Is work a common thing?
Does work make you free?
Your boss needs you?
Your team needs you?
Your president needs you?
Who needs you anyway?
Who does not work, is not?
Are you afraid of the authorities?
Are the authorities afraid of you?
Let us be afraid together?
Happiness through labour?
Happiness through money?
How much does happiness cost?