THE PEARLS OF LUCKAU

THE PEARLS OF LUCKAU

Luckau is only a small village with 6,000 residents. The old are staying and the young leaving in search of work, so the community is aging. One of few encouraging signs is the firm Zimmermann, which since the reunification of Germany has been a specialist in cleaning.

In September 1990 the trained bricklayer Zimmermann became unemployed so made a virtue of necessity by registering together with his wife as a firm for cleaning buildings. At half past four in the morning he went cleaning, and in the evening he crammed for his master examination. It all went well, so the Zimmermanns now have 150 employees and a further 100 who work for them seasonally. 41 year old Ramona Ihme from Luckau and 31 year old Andrea Harms have been working here as cleaners, one of them for the past three years and the other for the past ten.

The film focuses on the plants growing in the Zimmermann biotope: folk with everyday problems, who in spite of a revolution of values have managed to keep their feet on the ground, and who seldom moan openly about their lot, though the competition is tougher than ever.

The film accompanies them to their workplaces and living-rooms, trying to feel its way into family-groups and long-lasting job-communities and to sense dreams and unfulfilled longings.