Join us for a film screening and discussion on the pressing topic of work-life balance in modern society.
Before launching into a discussion we’ll start with a thought-provoking feature-length documentary by Costa Rican visual artist, photographer and filmmaker Allegra Pacheco. The film explores the nature of work and its repercussions through Japan’s ‘Salaryman’, a term used to describe white-collar men who dedicate their life to their jobs at high cost to their social life and physical and mental health.
This award winning documentary invites us to understand and rethink the ethics of our global working practices in a capitalist society. The titular salarymen and other peers – working mothers, graduates, and female office workers facing discrimination – guide us through a journey from conformity and despair to hope for change.
Most poignantly, we catch a glimpse of how victims of Japan’s tragic ‘karōshi’ (“death from overwork”) phenomenon spurred landmark legislation to limit working hours, and how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote and flexible working, though deep-rooted cultural pressures mean overwork remains a persistent challenge.
Trigger warning: among other themes, this documentary explores the topic of self-harm in the context of overwork.
Kindly note that access to the screening venue is via a flight of stairs.