Import/Export

Import/Export

Year: 2007

Runtime: 135 mins

Language: German

Director: Ulrich Seidl

Drama

A Ukrainian nurse hopes to escape hardship by traveling westward in pursuit of a better future, while an Austrian security guard, out of work, journeys east seeking the same promise of stability. Both wrestle with self‑doubt as they search for meaning and a new beginning, and the film follows their intersecting journeys across borders, highlighting the emotional toll of migration and the universal quest for purpose, dignity, and hope.

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Timeline & Setting – Import/Export (2007)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Import/Export (2007). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Vienna, Austria, Ukraine, Košice, Slovakia

The story unfolds across several Central European locations. Olga moves from Ukraine to Vienna, where she works as a housekeeper and later at a geriatric hospital. The narrative also visits Ukrainian border regions and Košice in Slovakia, highlighting the cross-border reality of the characters.

🏙️ Vienna 🕊️ Ukraine 🗺️ Europe

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:28

Main Characters – Import/Export (2007)

Meet the key characters of Import/Export (2007), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Olga (Ekateryna Rak)

A Ukrainian nurse facing financial strain who takes precarious jobs to support her child. Her move to Vienna leads to domestic work, then a hospital job, and a fraught bond with an elderly man seeking citizenship. Her decisions reflect resilience amid precarious economic conditions and social barriers.

🧳 Immigrant 💼 Worker 🫶 Relationships

Pauli (Michael Thomas)

A young Viennese man living with his mother and stepfather, disciplined by martial arts and a security job that is lost after a confrontation. He becomes entangled in his stepfather’s schemes in Ukraine, accumulating debt and straining his relationships while seeking a path forward.

🧭 Youth 🥋 Martial Arts 💰 Debt

Paulis Stiefvater (Michael Thomas)

Pauli’s stepfather who pushes him into illegal ventures in Eastern Europe. He acts as a catalyst for Pauli’s travels and a source of pressure and manipulation, amplifying the film’s themes of risk and exploitation.

🧩 Manipulation 💼 Crime 💬 Power

Erich Schlager (Erich Finsches)

An elderly man who asks Olga to marry him to obtain Austrian citizenship, representing a desperate bid for security and status. He dies of a heart attack before the wedding, ending that particular route to legitimacy.

👴 Elderly 🪪 Vulnerable 🫂 Dependency

Schwester Maria (Maria Hofstätter)

A figure within the Vienna setting connected to Olga’s life, symbolizing institutional care and authority within the systems Olga encounters as she navigates employment and housing.

🧑‍⚕️ Care 🏥 Hospital 🧭 Authority

Paulis Mutter (Susanne Lothar)

Pauli’s mother, a domestic presence in his life who provides context for his behavior and the family dynamics that shape his choices and sense of security.

👩 Maternal 🏡 Home 🗣️ Family

Paulis Mutter (Brigitte Kren)

The other maternal figure connected to Paul, reflecting family tensions and loyalties that influence the protagonists’ decisions and sense of belonging.

👩 Maternal 🏠 Family 📈 Tension

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:28

Major Themes – Import/Export (2007)

Explore the central themes of Import/Export (2007), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌍 Immigration

Olga’s journey from Ukraine to Vienna is driven by economic hardship and a need to support her child. The film follows her attempts to build a future through cross-border work, exposing the precariousness of immigrant life. The setting across multiple European locales emphasizes the search for stability.

💔 Exploitation

The narrative highlights power imbalances and vulnerability: Olga’s precarious position in a new city and Pauli’s entanglement in debt and coercive schemes. It shows how economic desperation shapes choices and relationships, often with painful consequences. The film portrays exploitation without easy solutions, underscoring emotional tolls on those involved.

⚖️ Citizenship & Belonging

Olga’s attempt to marry Erich for Austrian citizenship frames a tension between legal status and human security. The characters’ journeys probe what belonging means when rights are granted on paper but elusive in daily life. Erich’s death leaves the future unresolved, heightening the film’s sense of uncertainty about security.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:28

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Bleak migrant dramas like Import/Export

Raw, slow-paced dramas about people crossing borders in search of a better life.If you liked the harsh realities of migration in Import/Export, explore more movies like it. These films follow characters on desperate journeys across borders, often ending in bleak or ambiguous conclusions, capturing the emotional weight of searching for dignity and stability.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically follow one or more protagonists leaving their homes due to economic hardship, encountering systemic obstacles, exploitation, and a loss of identity. The narrative arc is often circular or downward, emphasizing the emotional toll over a traditionally 'successful' outcome.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on the grim, often dehumanizing experience of migration. They share a slow, observational pacing, a heavy emotional weight, and a consistently bleak tone that highlights the universal struggle for purpose and dignity against overwhelming odds.

Slow-burn character studies like Import/Export

Intimate portraits of lonely individuals wrestling with self-doubt and existential crises.For viewers who appreciated the introspective, slow-paced character drama of Import/Export. These movies like it feature protagonists grappling with loneliness and purpose, unfolding in a melancholic and oppressive atmosphere with a deliberate, thoughtful pace.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives are less about external plot and more about the internal, emotional journey of a character. The structure is often episodic or observational, building a cumulative portrait of a person's struggle with their circumstances and their own psyche, leading to an ambiguous or unresolved conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their patient, immersive approach to character. They share a slow pacing that allows for deep introspection, a melancholic and often lonely mood, and a medium-to-high emotional weight derived from the characters' palpable sense of doubt and search for meaning.

Unlock the Full Story of Import/Export

Don't stop at just watching — explore Import/Export in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Import/Export is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Import/Export Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Import/Export, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Import/Export Summary

Import/Export Timeline

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Import/Export Timeline

Import/Export Spoiler-Free Summary

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Import/Export Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Import/Export

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Import/Export: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Import/Export

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