Synopsis
- Chances are you’ve spoken to Ethan Reed over the phone. His real name is Vikeeh Uppal and he is one of over 350,000 people currently working in call centers across India. Calcutta Calling is an energetic and timely snapshot of globalization at work that takes viewers into the quickly expanding world of Business Process Outsourcing, which offers young and motivated men like Vikeeh the opportunity to make a nice living selling everything from cell phones to fire extinguishers to customers in America and Great Britain (for the record, he finds the British more polite). Although he has never been out of Calcutta, Vikhee, who presents himself as Ethan to his customers, works hard to be a top seller in what’s become a very competitive industry. He gets tutored in the English language, learns pronunciation from commercials and movies, and watches Manchester United soccer matches to gain insight into the people he interacts with on a daily basis. Though he is intent on maintaining Indian values and customs, Western influences have seeped into his life: Nokia is his favorite cell phone brand and Levi’s his favorite jeans.
Crew
- Regie: Andre Hörmann
- Kamera: Thomas Bergmann
- Schnitt: Vincent Assmann
- Verleih: HFF Potsdam
