When the workers have to stop constructing for a while because of a temporary lack of building materials, they get bored. And in the hot summer, tensions rise, leading to boorish behaviour. One of the workers is Meinhard, a quiet army veteran who starts wandering through the countryside. After several trips to the Bulgarian village, he manages to befriend some of the local farmers, and starts feeling more at home with them than with his co-workers.
The sense of authenticity is in part achieved by using real German construction workers and Bulgarian locals, with only a few non-amateur actors among them. Much of the misunderstanding and discomfort shown between the two groups in the film is entirely genuine. Meinhard himself is played by Meinhard Neumann, a first-time actor who is a stoic, leathered presence. He turns out to be absolutely fantastic in a scene where his composure suddenly breaks for a moment, one of the most moving bits of film I've seen yet this year.
While Western may probably not end up in any of my "best of" lists, the film manages to stick around more than I expected, and the memories I have of it are pleasant indeed.
Audiences in Rotterdam really appreciated the film as well, giving it a rating of 4.0 out of 5.