Over the Years

Year in, year out, the small and antiquated textile factory in the Waldviertel region of Austria struggles to keep its head above water. The equipment is ancient, bookkeeping is still done using pen and paper, and the cotton diapers it produces – despite a distinct lack of demand – are packed by hand by a solitary employee. It quickly becomes clear that things can’t continue like this for much longer. The inevitable bankruptcy soon follows, and former employees are forced to go in search of a new occupation. One of the older women starts looking after her neglected grandchildren, while another embarks on a new career selling Tupperware. And the former accountant, who loved his old job so much because it meant he could be alone, turns to his hobby of collecting and archiving hundreds of German folk music CDs. Spanning a period of some 10 years, this sedate observation of factory life slowly transforms into a unique and sensitive record of the ups and downs in the lives of a group of people. At its core, the film examines the extent to which one’s job defines one’s self-image. But more than anything, is about life, happiness, sorrow and death.