VTC drivers, meal delivery services, ghost workers for artificial intelligence… Today, millions of people take part in online gig works via major digital platforms such as Uber, Ikea or Amazon Mechanical Turk. Initially seduced by the false promises of independence and easy money, they are quickly confronted with the harsh reality of this new economy.
A life punctuated by notifications, a race to the 5 stars driven by a strict rating system, dangerous working conditions, unstable incomes and long hours… For the gig workers, the exploitative boss gives way to a new, digital one: algorithms. From Paris to San Francisco, passing by Lagos and Shenzhen, this film invites us to follow the daily lives of a handful of these invisible workers, who have to fight to claim their rights.
Enriched by the insights of experts and journalists, The Gig is Up is a disturbing plunge into the heart of platform capitalism, highlighting the limits of a booming socio-economic system.
Direction: Shannon Walsh
Production: Point du Jour - Les Films du Balibari & Intuitive Pictures for ARTE France, RTS & CBC