The Store

The discount supermarket as a gloomy utopia of capitalism and the everyday struggle for survival. Customers fighting over the cheapest offer, homeless people scavenging for recyclables in garbage containers and employees struggling for zero-hour contracts. At the center of the film is single mother Eleni, who, as the new store manager, is under constant pressure - from superiors, colleagues and even her own mother.

The film boldly combines stop-motion animation with live action. Despite its excessive length, it remains emotionally charged throughout. The characters' alter egos, created as puppets, are just as impressive as the authentic acting performances, which immediately draw you into their world. Director Ami-Ro Sköld processes her own experiences as an employee in a discount store into an immersive, cross-genre film in which a homeless camp, of all places, gives hope for a new beginning. (Jörg Markowitsch)

Austrian premiere