This breathtaking piece, published by the Egyptian web magazine “Fasla”, starts with a wide establishing shot of a quarry, slowly zooming in, while a very powerful soundbite is playing in the background: “this job is just inhuman”, and then black smoke is released from a chimney. Music is setting a mood of suspense, and supports the surprise when the smoke erupts.
We see portraits of workers, with their faces covered. These portrait shots are interrupted by 3 random detailed, sometimes blurry shots of the work environment.
The narration continues with another short, yet powerful quote: “If I’m fearful, I won’t work… and If I don’t work, I won’t eat”. The music becomes faster and more upbeat to establish a transition to more action. We see the workers covering their faces with masks, preparing themselves for this hard job that we already know is scary.
We’re introduced to the protagonist after 40 seconds, whom we never see in the usual interview (talking head) frame. Instead, he’s walking in a beautiful slow tracking shot, away from the camera, and towards a wide area of white stone.
Movements in the shots are subtle, most of them are smooth zoom ins/outs. In one shot, the filmmakers used a moving object, a ladder held by two workers, and put the camera on it to capture the point of view of one worker.
When the protagonist talks about the dangerous powder he and the others have to inhale; the footage reflects that by showing a worker walking into white dust and powder, barely visible, to demonstrate the intensity of this substance.
In the last quarter of the piece, we hear a new voice, a younger one. We see a few portrait shots of other workers until the person who’s talking is revealed. It’s a 14-year-old worker taking off his mask and sunglasses, smiling. The viewers get to have a personal connection with him in the last second, after they’ve witnessed the hard labor and the collective experience of the workers. This connection was effective highlighting the contrast between vulnerability and this harsh and tough environment.
This video is a documentary journalistic piece in which many cinematic techniques are used. However, its high quality cinematic sequences strengthen the fact that this story, and people in it are real. This cruel whiteness is their daily life.