Das Jobcenter. Nach Motiven von Franz Kafka

“Get in line!”
“I have an appointment.”
“Everyone here has an appointment.”

How quickly do you fall through the cracks of the system? We spoke with people whose personal stories shed light on the hurdles and bureaucratic pitfalls of the welfare state. Perspectives from benefit recipients—mostly people in the creative arts—as well as case workers at a job center and researchers on this topic provide insight into this much-discussed institution. With the changes to the “New Basic Income Support,” eligibility requirements have now been further tightened, while at the same time the political debate over unemployment and the stigmatization of people seeking help is intensifying. Taking up this debate, Kafka’s character K. appears in a fictional job center, where he is confronted with bureaucratic requirements and existential crises. We accompany him on his journey through various stages and programs until he is ultimately transformed.

by: Alle Achtung Collective
Participants: Michelle Koprow, Olga Lerani, Ann-Kathrin Pfahler, Lilli Suckfuell
Sound Design and Outside Eye: Moritz Buch