Keswick Film Club - Late Shift

Synopsis

"From Switzerland, this strikingly involving drama traces a single shift in the life of an overworked nurse, highlighting the job while pointedly commenting on the global shortage of hospital nurses. And in Leonie Benesch's wonderfully transparent performance, details emerge that are strongly resonant for any audience. Writer-director Petra Volpe uses expert camerawork, smooth editing and a propulsive pace to hold the interest through both loud and quiet moments" - Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall.

We join Floria as she arrives for her afternoon shift to find she is understaffed, with only one nurse and a student to help her. Constantly on the move from one patient to another, from one crisis to the next, the camera (and us) follow her all the way, involving us in her stress and the odd short moments of calm. Leonie Benesch (whose last two films were Oscar nominated) gets much credit for this for her "unnervingly nuanced performance" (Rich Cline again) as Floria, aided by the time she spent learning with nurses on a ward.

"Viewers will be as relieved as Floria when the night shift arrives; but the cycle continues and 'Late Shift' pays tribute to those who somehow make it work. End credits point out how endangered Floria's profession is, making this not just a normal hospital drama but a global cry for help" - Fionnuala Halligan, ScreenDaily.

The English title is certainly to the point here, but the original title means 'Heroine'; amen to that.