Louis Utieyin worked long hours at a warehouse before getting his big break in the new Ken Loach film, On Falling.
When Louis Utieyin moved to Scotland to study, he took a job in a fulfilment centre to make ends meet.
The long hours, relentless targets, and alienation of warehouse work left him demoralised — but they also became the foundation for his unexpected breakout role.
Now, the Nigerian-Italian comedian – known to fans as Kinz Luiz – is starring in On Falling, a film produced by Ken Loach’s production company that shines a light on the bleak reality of life inside these vast distribution centres.
Louis, who is based in Glasgow, was previously a student at Stirling University and he is now gearing up for what he hopes will be his big break-out role.
The film casts former warehouse workers and migrants, including comedian Louis, who brings firsthand experience of fulfilment centre conditions to the screen.
Bringing lived experience to his role, Louis knows firsthand the struggles of migrant workers caught in precarious, isolating jobs.
“You go from being a person to being treated like nothing,” he says.
“This film tells a story so many of us have lived—but rarely get to see on screen.”
On Falling, the debut feature film from Edinburgh-based Portuguese director Laura Carreira, shows the experience of Aurora (Joana Santos), a migrant worker struggling to find connection between her isolated flat-share and her precarious and monotonous job at the distribution centre.
Louis added: “I was born and raised in Italy, but my family is Nigerian. When I moved to Scotland to study at the University of Stirling, I needed a job to support myself. The fulfilment centre was the only option.
“The job didn’t make me feel valued. I didn’t like the environment, but I needed the money.
“Upper management didn’t always treat us well, and being black made it even harder, some co-workers treated me differently. It felt segregated at times.
“I get why people take these jobs when they have no other choice, but it makes you wonder – how do we make it easier for them?
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“I saw a post that a friend shared on Facebook and sent in a tape. When they called me back, I learned what the film was about and connected with it straight away.
“There aren’t many stories about fulfilment centres and what working in them is actually like.
“I worked six-days-a-week, waking up at 3am or 4am. Time dragged because you didn’t want to be there. You’d get a 30-minute break in the afternoon, and that was it.
“These jobs can be soulless. No one appreciates the workers, even though they’re making millions for these big corporations.
“We talk a lot about AI replacing these roles, but as technology advances, workers just get mistreated more.
“If you’re not fast enough, they treat you like a machine. That’s why I left – I wasn’t super-efficient, and sometimes I was in my head.
“Suddenly, you go from being a person to being treated like nothing. It made me really depressed. What’s the point? I was only there because of my circumstances, but I was scared to leave.
“The people were the only highlight. Talking, gossiping, sharing stories: those were the best moments.”
Improvisation was encouraged during filming, especially from cast members with experience as migrant workers or in distribution centres. Louis brought those ‘best moments’ into his performance.
He added: “For me, it was important to remember what it was really like and bring that to the screen. Yes, it was miserable, but it wasn’t always soul-crushing. There were moments of fun and laughter, and we needed to show that too.”
“I was able to bring my experience to costuming, as well. I asked if I could wear a durag, because that’s what you’d actually see in a fulfilment centre.”
On Falling is the latest film to be produced by Sixteen Films, the company co-founded by social realist filmmaker Ken Loach. The film is a moving and emotional drama about loneliness and seeking connection in the modern world of work.
The film is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Conic, a Glasgow-based film distributor, and is in cinemas now.
