Adventures on the Internet

Disturbing depiction of exploitation, humiliation and degradation in modern day Europe, either side of the border between East and West. Poverty of opportunity defines the lives of both Olga in the Ukraine and Pauli in Austria. The lure of a better life draws each into the other's homeland, but life remains harsh for both individuals as they scrape a living towards the end of the food chain. The film makes plain the squalid consequences of Western wealth and the disastrous economic `reforms` in Eastern Europe.
Essential viewing.

Inspired by real life events, director Dominique de Rivaz presents a tale in which three homeless men, Liocha, Mo and Filou decide to raise some cash by selling their past, future, and soul respectively on eBuy (sic). Exactly what these transactions might entail is left for the viewer to imagine; there is no suggestion of who might buy their lives or why, and the consequences of the sales aren’t explored in any depth.

Having previously scratched a living through activities such as dog-walking, blood and sperm donation, the initial euphoria of collecting a few hundred Euros for their marginal existence soon fades, as formerly carefree lifestyles and friendships begin to erode, but there’s little analysis of cause or effect.

The film offers a romanticised view of life on the streets, tempered only by the nightly collection of bodies from cardboard city. Filou, Mo and Liocha however skip lightly through their daily lives and consequently it’s difficult to work up much sympathy for their predicament or to see the sale of their lives as much more than a youthful prank.

A curate’s egg of a film.