AEMS: AEMS Database

John & Jane is a fascinating look at call centers in Mumbai and at the desires, fantasies, and hardships of the people who answer your outsourced calls. Taking on American names like Nicky, Naomi, and Glen, these white-collar night shift workers sell everything from insurance to pancake molds and troubleshoot the problems of frustrated customers. Shot in rich 35mm without lighting, and often without permission, the film captures the unnerving sense of dislocation that pervades these workers’ lives. Plucked from their own culture and their families, the phone agents are drilled in American popular culture and pronunciation, the lessons insidiously morphing into alternate realities as young Indians become John and Jane, complete with American-sized dreams of riches and success. Though they return to their cramped Indian homes at the end of their shifts, their imaginations cling to America. The story masterfully weaves among six characters in a surreal and disturbing meditation on the pursuit of happiness, American-style, and the perils of globalization.For more information, visit the film website.