The Worst Director Ever Was Allowed To Make Another Movie And Now The Law Is After Him
Uwe Boll used intimidation tactics to stop workers from unionizing on his movie set.
For those of you who have been following the Razzies for a number of decades, you may be familiar with the name Uwe Boll, a German filmmaker who is both a prolific and polarizing figure in the world of indie filmmaking. Recent news from The Hollywood Reporter tells us that this time Boll isn’t being criticized for what’s happening on the screen but rather for what happened on the set for his latest movie, First Shift. The dispute in question is regarding a small handful of nonunion employees who wanted to flip the contract to a union contract or go on strike, but were coerced not to by production staff.
Though First Shift is considered by Boll to be a feel-good action movie, claims have been filed with the IATSE by some of the production crew in regard to their attempts to unionize, and it’s certainly not a feel-good story by the looks of it. This is nothing out of the ordinary, but it gets complicated because these employees maintain that Uwe Boll’s producers and production coordinators used intimidation tactics to convince them to reconsider their demands. The claim was filed on March 13, 2023, and Boll went on record stating that it all seemed like a last-ditch effort by some disgruntled crew members to sabotage the film.
Though Uwe Boll and his executive producer, Michael Roesch, aren’t named themselves in the claim, any acts of intimidation on the part of his higher-up production crew, if proven to be true, would be a direct violation of the National Labor Relations Act. The National Labor Relations Act has safe measures in place to prevent employers from intimidating employees in exactly this scenario, so as of now, it’s a matter of hearing out both sides of the story. In addition to the intimidation tactics mentioned in the claim, there were also several safety concerns brought to light during the production of First Shift.
The most glaring safety issue brought to Uwe Boll’s attention was that his line producer, Ari Taub, brought a prop gun to the set that was not a part of the shoot. However, this may have been due to a miscommunication about the use of firearms props in the film because it was not mentioned in the March 13 claim. Boll has also gone on record stating that they chose to use rubber guns and add all the gunfire in post-production in light of the Alex Baldwin Rust incident in 2021.
Executive producer Michael Roesch also stated that there was not a single documented incident during the production of the Uwe Boll film and that all days were wrapped without going into overtime. In fact, not even a single blank was fired on set, so as far as production goes, it seems like it was a safe production.
In addition to the March 13 complaint, there was also an anonymous tip to the animal rights group PETA over the treatment of a dog on the set. A central plot element of First Shift is rescuing a dog and its subsequent transport throughout the film. This rumor was quickly shut down by Gino Anthony Pesi, the film’s star, because it was alleged that the dog, his real-life pet, was not properly cared for during the Uwe Boll production.
Pesi said that this allegation disgusts him because he feels like a few disgruntled crew members are trying to sabotage the film by bringing his pet into it. Though we can’t male any definitive claims regarding the March 13 complaint, let’s hope that all parties involved come to a resolution. For those curious about the film, First Shift is still in post-production, and a release date has not yet been announced.
