In Comparison

“Iwouldliketoproposeafilmthatcontributestotheconceptofwork.Thatcomparestheworkofatraditionalsociety,likeinAfrica,inanearlyindustrialsocietysuchasIndia,andinahighlydevelopedindustrialsociety,inEuropeorJapan.Theobjectofcomparisonistobetheworkinbuildinghouses.Housestolivein.”<br/>　　ThiswaswritteninHarunFarocki’sexposéfrom2003foradocumentaryproject.“Afterinitialresearch(...)Ihadtheideaofusingthebrick,itsmanufactureanditsprocessingastheobjectofcomparison,explainsFarocki.“Wewerelookingforagreatvarietyofusesforbricks–andwewerelookingformanufacturingprocessesthatwouldpossiblydoawaywithbricks.”InIndiahefilmedabrickworkswhosethreadingmachinewasfromthe1930swhenGandhiwasorganizingtheanti-colonialistprotest.TheinstallationinnorthernFrancewasoperatedbyMoroccanswhohousedinbarrackslikePOWsorforcedlabourers.InMumbaiapartmenthouseswerebuiltmuchliketheyareinEurope.NohandtouchedtheproductsthatcameoutofthehighlymechanizedfactoriesinGermany.InBurkinaFasoFarockifollowedthecommunalworkonahospitalwardandaschoolbuildingwithhiscamera:“I’veneverinmylifebeenabletoobservedsuchastrangeprocesssoclosely.”<br/>　　Thefilmdoeswithoutcommentary;thereareonlyindicationsoftheplacesandafewexplanationsofferedinsubtitles.