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Automation anxiety: Will humans lose purpose?
28 Aug
Summary
- Filmmaker Jens Lien explores a future with automation.
- Trond Fausa Aurvåg stars as Joe, who loses his job.
- The film questions purpose when society needs less work.
Norwegian filmmaker Jens Lien, known for "The Bothersome Man" and "Beforeigners," is set to release "Joe's Assignment," a near-future comedy exploring themes of work, automation, and societal redundancy. The Norway-Greece co-production stars Trond Fausa Aurvåg as Joe, an ambulance driver who loses his job to autonomous vehicles.
Joe becomes entangled in a government system assigning mandatory tasks to the unemployed. When his own assignment disappears, his quest for purpose intertwines with his search for connection and a place in the world. Producer Kristin Emblem described the film as a "warm and humorous look" at a society without work.
Lien views the film as a spiritual successor to "The Bothersome Man," sharing its tonal affinity and humor while addressing contemporary anxieties about human obsolescence. The film, which wrapped filming in mid-November, is expected to premiere internationally before its Norwegian release in 2027.
