Who Needs Sleep? (2006)

A documentary that highlights the deadly combination of sleep deprivation and long days of work.

Director:

Haskell Wexler

Stars:

David Agus, Netta Bank, Annette Bening

Cast

Credited cast:
David Agus	...	(as David Angus)
Netta Bank
Annette Bening
Gilbert Cates	...	(as Gil Cates)
Nick Counter
Billy Crystal
Tyne Daly
Andrew Davis
Antares Davis	...	Taittinger's Model SAG Awards
Roger Deakins
William C. Dement	...	(as Bill Dement)
Caleb Deschanel
Craig DiBona
Alan R. Disler	...	(as Alan Disler)
Bruce Doering

Storyline

Unsettled by the preventable death of a coworker, filmmaker Haskell Wexler learns that sleep deprivation and long work hours are a deadly combination. Interweaving medical findings with personal accounts, his camera reveals how a 24/7 work culture affects all Americans.

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Plot Keywords:

sleep deprivation

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

A Grassroots Movement to Wake Up & Smell the Danger

Wexler does a magnificent job of persuading his audience to wake up and smell the very real dangers of overworking and the pricey toll it's taking on our health and our lives.

It would be tough to leave this film and not be stirred to stop accepting the status quo of corporate America. Ultimately this film shows us that the system needs an overhaul. But it's clear that the leaders of the unions and our government organizations, like OSHA, who are "suppose" to be operating to protect the little guy -- clearly are not. Like other health and life issues throughout history, e.g., smoking and drunk driving, it's the little guy who has the biggest voice, once he decides to use it. Time and time again, the film shows us through clear, objective reporting on the part of Wexler, that the leaders are only passing the buck. They refuse to directly answer his questions which are quite reasonable, and instead offer replies that merely attempt to detour the filmmaker from initiating any real change. Wexler is a stalwart champion (with a dry and down-to-earth sense of humor) who uses this issue to persevere with this film, eight years in the making.

This is not just for film crew people but for all workers who long to shake off the heavy cloak of overwork-dom mystique that is killing many of us, literally. Thought-provoking and entertaining...factual and inspirational.