PLEASE HOLD THE LINE

When one contemplates exciting professions, ones that offer variety, cable technician is probably not high on the list. In PLEASE HOLD THE LINE, Pavel Cuzuioc shows just how wrong this preconception can be. The film shadows cable technicians on the job in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine, Moldavia, Romania and Bulgaria, in the process revealing not only how particularly dependent life in rural areas is on communication infrastructure, but also capturing this particular life in its pure, authentic form. From the living rooms and backyards of these regions' inhabitants, with a calm and pleasantly intimate atmosphere, the film tells of the multi-faceted encounters that the angels in blue experience while going about their tasks. Here they do more than just provide a service – they are also rescuers, bearers of hope and spiritual counsellors. They connect individuals to the world and keep them in touch with themselves, for truly "communication is everything". Cuzuioc's documentary film is a fitting tribute to these workers that do everything in their power to save an already alienated world from falling to pieces.