Petra Volpe and Leonie Benesch Highlight the Challenges Faced by Frontline Nurses in ‘Late Shift’
Nurses Take Center Stage in Petra Volpe’s Latest Film, Late Shift
Swiss writer-director Petra Volpe has long contemplated the crucial role of nurses in society. However, it was the impact of the pandemic that inspired her to focus on their experiences in her new film, Late Shift.
Volpe emphasized the pressing issue of nurse shortages in the U.S., stating, “The statistics that you can read in the newspapers are quite clear: there are not enough nurses in the U.S. It’s like, very intentionally, hospitals are understaffed to make more profit. This just kept brewing and simmering in me, and I felt it was a really important topic to look at from a filmmaker’s perspective, also a feminist perspective and a political perspective.”
This film, which serves as Switzerland’s submission for the International Oscar category this year, follows Floria (played by Leonie Benesch), a dedicated nurse navigating the fast-paced environment of a surgical ward, despite being understaffed. The story unfolds into a gripping race against time.
Benesch, fresh off her critically acclaimed performance in The Teacher’s Lounge, auditioned for Volpe over Zoom. The director initially hesitated to approach her for the role, concerned that Benesch might not want to take on another professional character. “I thought she doesn’t want to play another professional on this occasion,” Volpe remarked. “She’s probably getting a hundred billion offers like that.”
Contrary to Volpe’s concerns, Benesch embraced the project, describing her role as “very physical.” She noted, “For us, it was an action movie. It’s very athletic.”
In preparation for her character, Benesch spent several days shadowing nurses in a hospital. She observed a shared sense of purpose among them: “They all really wanted to take care of people,” she recounted. “They talked about how they always enjoyed providing care, or taking care of other people, and they always found it easy and fulfilling. That was people’s motivation. Very few people are in it for the money.”
Late Shift is set to be released by Music Box Films in the U.S.
