Set against a landscape dominated by an algorithm-driven gig economy, in a world designed to keep us apart, On Falling explores the silent, vital struggle to find meaning and connection. It tells the story of Aurora, a Portuguese migrant working as a warehouse picker in Edinburgh, Scotland. Trapped between the confines of a vast distribution centre and the solitude of her own bedroom, Aurora seeks out every opportunity to resist the alienation and isolation that threaten her sense of self.

The Garden Cinema View:

Rarely does a film depict the grey monotony of working a dehumanising job with such accuracy as On Falling. Rather than extreme despair, it portrays this as a exhausting experience which strips a person away from their agency to think clearly and act rationally, leading to a spiral of embarrassment. The film also powerfully depicts cultural displacement, particularly of a family-oriented Mediterranean individual thrust into an impersonal environment, and forced to cohabitate with strangers.

With plenty of subtext, the script gradually builds tension while maintaining great nuance. Joana Santos gives a quietly excellent performance as Aurora, the exploited worker in a big warehouse in Scotland.
This is a powerful debut from the Scotland-based Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira, and announces a new voice in new social realist cinema.

Winner: Best Director, San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024

Winner: Sutherland Award, BFI London Film Festival 2024, which recognises the most original and imaginative directorial debut.

Cast:
Joana Santos, Inês Vaz, Neil Leiper, Deborah Arnott