Burnout: The Truth about Work

Weg vom Fenster - Leben nach dem Burnout

Our premise is that work has become an act of self-sabotage. Empty corporate jargon, ever-changing management fashions and self-serving bureaucracy masquerading as efficiency hijacked the purpose of work. Creative documentary The Happy Worker will show how we got to this point and the very human behavior that led us here. We want to show how this unhealthy system is maintained and what keeps us from calling bullshit.

It is a fetish, a mantra, a secret religion to modern man: work. In times of the financial crisis and massive job reductions, this documentary movie questions work as our 'hallow' sense in life in a way that both humors and pains us.

These days, employees find themselves under enormous pressure. Disorders such as burn-out and depression are not uncommon. A manager, a mediation coach and a quantum physicist offer their approaches to counteract this trend.

It’s a paradox. Never before in history we have worked more efficiently. Never before we have saved time with more sophisticated technologies. Anyway, nearly all of us are feeling an increasing pressure of time. It seems that the same technology that has been invented to make our life better and easier, is now enslaving us. Why?

A blend of drama and documentary, this film follows several people caught up in the turmoil of the modern world. The drama centres on a woman who has burned out and who holds up her own despair – and her attempts to rebuild her life – as a mirror to the rest of us. With a blend of gravity and humour, Sylvie Groulx's film shows the absurdity of a society dedicated to the cult of speed at all costs.

A depressed white-collar worker tries hypnotherapy, only to find himself in a perpetual state of devil-may-care bliss that prompts him to start living by his own rules, and hatch a hapless attempt to embezzle money from his soul-killing employers.

In returning to their old ballet school burnt-out dancer – Sylvie - explores their past in order to decide what to do with their future.

Emergency medicine intern Margaux can no longer stand it. During another very hectic and patient-filled shift, she forgets a homeless woman on a stretcher who then dies. Shocked Margaux has no choice but to continue working. But suddenly, her body starts sweating blood uncontrollably.

A group of bored teenagers rebel against authority in the community of New Granada.

As a freelance illustrator and perfectionist, Maya’s life is fun fun fun, but also busy busy busy. She perfectly pulls through her work assignments and social activities, thanks to a supportive ‘inner voice’ whom she affectionately calls her ‘Little Motivator’. But when Maya suddenly gets a full-on panic attack and has to slow down for a while, her deepest fear becomes reality: she can no longer be perfect… Maya and her Little Motivator set out to get her back on track ASAP, while struggling to accept that ‘good enough’ might just really be good enough.

We follow a young girl doing her best not to be crushed under the weight of her day-to-day high school life.

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A group of directionless, bored, drug-using teenagers get involved in a cult, resulting in a murder.

An assistant will do anything to get his presentation in front of his boss… even set himself on fire.

A burned-out private detective in Las Vegas gets involved in blackmail and murder.

A young woman returns home from school disillusioned with life only to find solace in a high school freshman and a local burnout.

A medical examiner investigating a series of prostitute murders discovers that the culprit is an ancient tribal witch doctor come back to life.

Recorded live on April 3, 1985 at Studio 54 in New York. Live footage and interviews with Slayer, Venom & Exodus. Venom's live clips are from other videos because Mantas had chickenpox.

A young woman, stressed by her busy and continually crowded New York City existence spontaneously retreats to a solitary lake deep in the Adirondacks.