CLEANING & CLEANSING

Documentary, Feature,

Austria

2024

Runtime, min

Cleaning & Cleansing spans an associative range of images from cleaning and hygiene work of the human body and psyche to objects and rooms to cleaning that creates associations to ethnic cleansing and racial hygiene. The film addresses the medical, aesthetic, spiritual and (bio)political dimensions and links areas that are often perceived as separate from one another. It raises, in a minimalist and sensual way, a topic that remains central to society: the optimization and improvement of life, which, if pursued with too much commitment and carelessness – can quickly turn against itself.

Director:

Thomas Fürhapter

Selections and Awards:

28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava October 31, 2024 World Premiere Opus Bonum Section Czech Republic, 28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava October 31, 2024 World Premiere Award for Original Approach Czech Republic

REVIEWS:

Informative, yet effortless to watch.

Live Screenings Attendee

The film is a bomb—shattering assumptions, turning consciousness inside out! I don’t understand what exactly it does or how it works, but the impact is incredibly powerful. At first, there’s confusion—a search for a plot, an attempt to grasp the meaning. Then comes some irritation, because no familiar patterns work. And then… a relaxation, a surrender to the process of pure observation. The film gently holds your attention the whole time. And then insights started to surface—social constructs revealing themselves and collapsing like houses of cards. An extraordinary process that felt completely beyond my control. And those final shots—so visually stunning! Thank you for such a powerful and profound film!

Anastasiia Live Screenings