«The expanding practice of working extreme hours seriously compromises both the quality of our work and the health and safety of others.»
Conrad Hall

«on March 6th, 1997, after working a 19 hour day on “Pleasantville” as a second assistant cameraperson, Brent Herschman fell asleep at the wheel of his car and was killed.»
John Lindley

«In our Indian Film Industry we toil for 16 – 18 hours a day, 7 days a week continuously for 40 – 50 days at a stretch»
K.Ramachandra Babu

«Un système qui consiste à faire travailler des techniciens, réalisateurs, acteurs de 12 à 16 heures par jour sur des longs métrages ou des télé films est inhumain….infantile et dangereux»
Willy Kurant

«So the question is, Why, when something that has been proven medically, scientifically, and practically, in human terms to be so corrosive, so damaging, so unsafe, does this continue? How is it possible, when everyone is aware of how destructive this is to our health and how dangerous this is to our lives, that working long hours not only continues in Hollywood and all over America, but has spread to other parts of the world? Total silence has fallen upon this community with regard to this issue. In fact, it is being ignored. On a TV show a very honest, intelligent producer was asked what producers would want to see happen about this? and he replied “We just want the whole issue to quietly go away” …. and that’s just what it did.»
Haskell Wexler

«Many cinematographers are quite naturally uneasy when it comes to ‘complaining’ about the hours that crews are expected to work these days»
Roger Deakins

The phenomenon we have to deal with is a typical symptom of a general degeneration of human values»
Kurt Brazda

These texts were mostly compiled by Madelyn Most and Frédéric-G. Kaczek during the period 2002-2003 and published on the www.imago.org by Matthias Maasz.

By reading the different texts written by cinematographers you will find out how complex this issue is. It became a problem since legislation has not been respected. Apparently it seems to be a minor problem to solve. The labour legislation states that 8 hours makes a complete day of work. Any hour extra must be considered over time. The law should be applied, - but it is not that simple.

There is in Europe all kind of labour legislation. Each country has its own rules and respect more or less the law. The Nordic countries are known by having a good social security system and collective bargaining. In many other countries politicians want to copy the Nordic system.

The social security system in France has lately been suffering pressures against its adherent rights. You recollect when the “Intermittents”, the French artists and technicians, stopped a Theatre Festival in Avignon and were received with respect by the Cannes Film Festival, allowing them to have a press conference.

The situation concerning labour legislation and social security is complex. It is a political issue. Those who have now some privileges are fighting not to loose them and those who do not have any rights are fighting to get them.

Every thing could be much easier if we could ourselves do something to respect the law. We have all accepted the 10 hours a day journey. It was understandable. But, it seems now not even to be sufficient.

The competition, the lack of work takes people to accommodate with the realities and circumstances. To be able to get together a sufficient number of people to defend and protect the implementation of a right is a difficult task these days. The system is totally liberalized among our peers, and strikes and rallies are not of this generation.

On the texts that follow you will get the diagnosis of the problem.

No one has the miraculous solution to change the actual situation. Maybe, by taking legal action (labour court) against governments in regard to the fact that legislation has not being respected. A Legal Suite that can be presented before the European Court.

Our cause is just a matter of making justice.

We have responsibilities as European citizens. The problem doesn’t concern only Europeans but the whole world from the United States, Canada, Mexico, India; every where we experience the same situation.

This has gone too far. It reaches already the limits of total madness. The situation today can be considered comparable, or even worse, to what it was at the end of the 19th Century. It is an enormous set back of social rights. The exploitation is just before our eyes and we are incapable to stop it.

The situation has gone so far that is already a humiliation of rights and safety. It has far surpassed the actual legislation that defends our rights.

We do have the law on our side and many arguments to defend it. It is only a matter of strength and team work to be able to accomplish our desires.

Be the force with you.

Tony Costa
Vice President IMAGO