synopsis
A standard telephone scam turns into a therapy session the moment the artist, suffering from writer’s block, refuses to play the role of a passive victim. Instead of hanging up or mocking him, she offers the fake IT technician a glimpse into her own emotional emptiness and sense of burnout. Deliberate manipulation on both ends of the line gradually escalates into an intimate confession between two lonely strangers who are both victims of the same exploitative system. This short film essay on global inequality and the dark side of online vigilantism skilfully balances absurdity, sarcasm and tragedy.
“Today, it is known that many so-called scam call centers are not just questionable workplaces. They are part of larger structures involving exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.”
biography
Stefanie Schroeder (1981) is a German film editor and director. She studied art history, photography and media art. She is interested in mental landscapes and themes relating to work and self-optimisation. She co-founded the independent cultural centre WBS70, and her artistic base is the Leipzig-based collective FILZ.
film details
| director: | Stefanie Schroeder |
| producer: | Stefanie Schroeder |
Film at festival
| premiere type: | Czech Premiere |
| festival edition: | 2026 |
| section: | Constellations |
| language: | English, German |
| subtitles: | English, Czech |
| colour: | Colour |
Info
| director: | Stefanie Schroeder |
| original title: | Cold Call |
| country: | Germany |
| year: | 2025 |
| running time: | 16 min. |
| warning: | Flashing lights (epilepsy warning) |
