About this Event
CRUSTY OLD BASTARD - After nearly 40 years on the road, veteran truck driver Steve is nearing the end of his career, his body and mind bearing the toll of decades spent behind the wheel. The long hours, solitude, and sacrifices have impacted every facet of his life.
His son Joey, a documentary filmmaker and new father, decides to join him on one final trip in an effort to document a portrait of his father and understand him better. What begins as a portrait of a working-class man in his element soon becomes an intimate exploration of family, legacy, and identity.
As the kilometers pass, Joey unravels layers within his father that he didn’t know existed. Through quiet moments of reflection, early morning nostalgia, and personal revelations, Crusty Old Bastard captures the complexities of aging, fatherhood, and reconciliation with subtle moments of vulnerability and humour.
In this deeply personal journey, Joey seeks not just to document his father's role as a truck driver, but to truly understand the man behind the wheel before the journey comes to an end. (14m, 2025, Canada, Director: Joey Whitelaw)
AGAINST THE WIND - In a city of endless deliveries, two thirty-years-old riders - one burdened by debt, the other fueled by hope - cling to a quiet but enduring friendship as they dream of escaping a life stuck in motion.
Chi, driven by debt, takes order after order, working 14 to 15 hours a day — five years of relentless repetition. His peer, Yuan, though lacking formal skills, burns with determination. He's consistently ranked among the top Uber Eats couriers. At the anxiety age of thirty, a quiet, deep bond connects them — kindred spirits in motion. They wait for a better chance — not only to leave this place but also to chase their dreams. Finally, they ride toward a freer place. (35m, 2026, Taiwan, Director: Felix Chou) + Director Q&A
https://vimeo.com/1088312747
DELIVERED - In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts.
"We're not animals!” complains Shiwani S. after a hard day at the Berlin labor court. The bicycle courier, who is in late pregnancy, has been waiting for a year and a half for several months' wages to be paid. "Why don't Germans do these jobs at Lieferando, Wolt, or Uber Eats?” agrees Samee U. "Ask yourselves that!"
The documentary explores this question and uncovers a system of exploitation that is becoming increasingly widespread in German cities: thousands of young Indians come to the country for worthless degrees at expensive private universities. They are lured here by agencies and heavily in debt, as a result.
Once in Germany, they are ripped off by unscrupulous landlords and end up working for entrepreneurs who exploit them: with bogus employment contracts, forced illegal work, and pay far below the minimum wage.
The film provides insight into the precarious living situation of Indian courier drivers in Germany. The filmmakers immersed themselves in the community for months to conduct their research. (45m, 2025, Germany, Directors: Fabian Grieger and Jan Wiese)
Event venue & nearby stays
Cinema Village, 22 East 12th St, New York, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.