- An industrial location in danger of being closed, somewhere in southern Germany. Ex-foreman Xaver has been twiddling his thumbs for some months - he is in early retirement. His wife Karin still works at "his" former plant, a household appliances factory. Xaver feels useless. Trouble is brewing in their marriage. Now the factory is about to be shut down, and the workers are on strike, trying to prevent the worst. As an ex-union leader, Xaver becomes enthusiastic about taking part. But while picketing with his former colleagues, he realizes that he is no longer one of them - "Strike Blues" blends fictional scenes with documentary footage from the strike at the AEG Nuremberg factory in the beginning of 2006, where workers were fighting for weeks against the closure of their plant. A film about the very private effects of "restructuring".
- Almost all his life, Xaver has been a foreman and factory committee member at a production plant for dishwashers. Now, at the age of 55, he finds himself in early retirement and cannot get used to suddenly not being needed any more. He spends his time strolling through domestic appliances shops, giving unasked-for "good advice" to shop assistants. The situation leads to a growing conflict between him and his wife Karin, who is still employed at Xaver's former plant. He jealously picks at her when she leaves for her early shift in the morning, always finds something to moan about and shocks her with sudden renovating activities in the kitchen.
But Xaver is not the only one to lose his job at the factory. After many senior employees were coerced into early retirement, the plant is now about to be shut down and production to be moved abroad. Workers go on strike, and the protest makes Xaver and Karin forget their marriage troubles for a while. They walk out to picket at the factory gate together. But Xaver cannot help the feeling that he does not belong to his former colleagues any more. They do not need his advice, and Karin seems to get along suspiciously well with young union leader Gerd. Xaver tries to attract attention by acting self-importantly, but rubs people up the wrong way and provokes a new heavy argument with Karin. She makes clear to him: "Xaver - I don't like coming home to you any more."
Xaver roars away. Karin spends the evening at a strike party, flirting with Gerd. When she comes home late, she finds a melancholic Xaver twanging on his electric guitar instead of the ever-moaning husband. It moves her to see him like that, and they try to make up, but when Xaver wants to make love to her, she rejects him. In the middle of the night, Xaver goes back to the factory, where some of the workers are still picketing. Unskilled worker Gonzalez tells him about his plans to open a candy stand with his severance pay and offers him a job there. Xaver remains alone by the fire, wrapped up in thought. It is doubtful whether this new perspective can save his marriage, but something in his life must change.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content