Late Shift

As a nurse, I can confirm that there are many shifts on many wards just like this. A lot of the work happening between scenes was left out, and a few corners were definitely cut. I work in a different setting, and I have deep respect for every colleague who can handle that kind of work for more than just a few days. It could be such a beautiful profession - if it weren't being destroyed by greed, ignorance, and systemic violence. Sadly, many people still have no idea what it really takes to keep going.

Fewer and fewer people are even interested in learning this kind of work anymore.

Good luck trying to fix that with AI....

The movie shows the daily routine of a nurse in a Swiss hospital when there are not enough nurses. This is already and will become a huge problem in the future due to the increasing age of the population and the decreasing number of skilled workers such as nurses.

Leonie Benesch is great once again, just like in "Teachers' Lounge" and "September 5".

The movie shows a realistic scenario in a full hospital and is barely stereotypical especially compared to other hospitals movies.

The camera work of Judith Kaufmann is fantastic and displays the physical pressure excellent. It feels like we are walking with Floria through the hospital and observe her like in a documentary.

This film hit me deeply - not just as a viewer, but as someone who has seen parts of this world up close, though never from the inside. It's a quietly devastating portrait of a healthcare system where staff are constantly overwhelmed, and patients often reduced to numbers. The film is restrained in its tone but unflinching in its realism.

For medical professionals, especially those who have worked in underfunded hospitals, this might feel less like cinema and more like déjà vu. A person close to me worked in multiple hospitals over the years and immediately recognized the emotional detachment that can become necessary when death is a regular occurrence - not because you stop caring, but because the system gives you no room to act otherwise. For them, the film was not emotional but eerily accurate - a reflection of shifts they'd rather forget.

But for viewers like me - those who've only seen the burnout and emotional toll secondhand - the film was powerful, even overwhelming at times. I found myself on the verge of tears multiple times, not only out of empathy for the patients but also out of frustration and deep respect for the caregivers who navigate this impossible environment.

The acting is superbly naturalistic, with a rawness that serves the film's themes perfectly. The sound design and score are minimal but poignant, never pushing emotion but allowing it to surface organically. This is not a feel-good film - far from it - but it's an essential one. It asks not only how we treat the sick and dying, but how we treat those who care for them.

If you're looking for comfort, look elsewhere. But if you're ready to see what "broken system" truly means, this film will stay with you.

What a ride. More importantly, what a REAL, HARD-HITTING ride. At just 90 minutes, the film not only manages to strike an emotional chord but also tells the stories of so many people suffering various illness, through the POV of Floria (Leonie Benesch). That too, while carefully placing a spotlight on the real-world crisis of nurse shortage. Floria's really committed to her job, and it's shown to us through her interactions with several patients in the ward, including sweet ones, stubborn ones, depressing / terminally ill ones, and even the "entitled" ones. Director Petra Volpe closely follows Floria as she navigates a rather hectic evening, filled with spontaneous requests, immense pressure of follow-ups, and even having to deal with personal dilemmas.

The beauty of the storytelling lies in giving us tidbits of information on Floria and her patients, making the each incidental revelation all the more impactful. Leonie Benesch puts in a fantastic performance -- one that's sure to linger in my head for a very long time for the subtleties alone. And as much as I hate being physically at a hospital, the film aggravated that feeling with its solid sound design and cinematography (characterized by long shots). This unprecedented health crisis is alarming, and I hope the world is taking notes. Late Shift, for me, is cinema mirroring life.

From Switzerland comes Heldin, directed by Swiss Petra Biondina Volpe and starring the wonderful Leonie Benesch.

The film takes us through a chaotic shift at a hospital, playing the role of nurse Fiora. The film is an intense drama with thriller overtones, brilliantly directed and even better performed by its lead character.

It's a fast-paced film that unfolds with the frenzy of a chaotic day in an emergency room. The film is intense, captivating, heartbreaking, and empathetic. It explores a sensitive character overwhelmed by the chaos of a difficult and agonizing workday. Leonie Benesch is the pure substance of the film, and between its successes and its flaws, the actress carries the entire weight on her shoulders with a character who is simultaneously human, overwhelmed, and warm, creating a complete connection between the protagonist and the audience.

We become Fliora's shadow, and this journey is intelligently guided by the director, who doesn't skimp on delivering pure tension that's at times tiring and frenetic. Petra Volpe's direction is astute and uncompromising, taking you from one extreme to the other without pause, making you live and feel the same as the protagonist with well-executed and thoughtful direction. You set off on a path and it doesn't take long for you to climb into the rhythm, already on the cusp of its final climax.

A great film that deserves every moment we give it. It's true that it's not perfect and has moments where it seems to lose its way, but the result is undoubtedly satisfying. The film manages to rise from its lowest moments and further elevate the intensity of its plot with the cleverness of knowing where to insert the most tense moments, accompanied by a precise and complementary soundtrack.

It's a film that won't bore you and will make you feel the message that the film doesn't hide about the shortcomings of the healthcare system and, in turn, about the resilience of its true protagonists.