"Hotel Coolgardie" (2016 release from Australia; 84 min.) brings the story of Lina and Stephanie, two young women from Finland who arrive in Perth looking for a job to earn some money. They are assigned for a 3 month stint at a bar in Coolgardie, a small mining town that is a 6 h. Drive east from Perth, and literally in the middle of nowhere, Upon starting their stint as barmaids, it's not long before Lina and Stephanie are subjected to all kinds of sexism and worse... At this point we are 10 min into the documentary.
Couple of comments: it all starts very innocently, but once the real character of the locals of Coolgardie comes to the forefront, things get ugly pretty quickly. One of the girls comments that "people are either depressed or sad", and that just about sums it up. Except that it is inexcusable what the two Finnish ladies are put through. Apparently sending young females out to bartend in remote places is a flourishing business (because they don't know what they are getting into). This documentary is bound to make you feel deeply uncomfortable, but as a documentary it is priceless, providing a glimpse into something that is out there in remote Australia...
Let me confess that I had never heard of this movie, but Amazon Prime suggested it to me based on my viewing habits (I love me a good documentary). Even though the subject matter isn't the easiest, this is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you love a good documentary and don't mind feeling uncomfortable at times, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: it all starts very innocently, but once the real character of the locals of Coolgardie comes to the forefront, things get ugly pretty quickly. One of the girls comments that "people are either depressed or sad", and that just about sums it up. Except that it is inexcusable what the two Finnish ladies are put through. Apparently sending young females out to bartend in remote places is a flourishing business (because they don't know what they are getting into). This documentary is bound to make you feel deeply uncomfortable, but as a documentary it is priceless, providing a glimpse into something that is out there in remote Australia...
Let me confess that I had never heard of this movie, but Amazon Prime suggested it to me based on my viewing habits (I love me a good documentary). Even though the subject matter isn't the easiest, this is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you love a good documentary and don't mind feeling uncomfortable at times, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.