In Sorry to Bother You we follow Cassius ‘’Cash’’ Green on his journey from being a telemarketer to being promoted to the gracious position of ‘’Elite Power Caller’’. Boots Riley his absurdist masterpiece provides a critical perspective on what ‘’work’’ means in our 21st century capitalist society. What is the role of work in our societies? How likely are we to engage in free and meaningful work under capitalism? How do our working lives affect our social relations? Sorry to Bother You offers a bold and funny entry point to these questions, while suggesting interesting debates on the intersection of class and race, the problem of social mobility, and on the very contours of the working class. 

To further engage with these questions, the movie will be introduced by philosophers Lisa Herzog and Tatiana Llaguno Nieves. They will give an introductory talk about how in our capitalist society, we work to earn money, while we wish our jobs could be more than a way of staying alive. Shouldn’t our jobs enrich our lives in more ways than provide us with monetary value? Many of us struggle with this issue on an individual level, but can it ever be resolved if we all stick to ourselves? Or do we need to unite with others, proletarians and beyond, to form a new working class? But what do these old Marxist notions today, are they still applicable? And what could ‘solidarity’ mean for work in the 21st century?

After the movie there will be an open discussion in the cellar bar, about these topics. We hope to see you there.

Filosofie & Film is a collaberation between the Knowledge Centre of Philosophy and Zienema. Want to know more about philosophy in Groningen? Visit: https://www.rug.nl/filosofie/outreach/