'You go from being a person to being treated like nothing'

Comedian Louis Utieyin on his soul-destroying job... and how it informed his new film role

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 a new film role.

Now, the Nigerian-Italian comedian, who also performs on the circuit as Kinz Luis, is starring in On Falling, a film made by Ken Loach’s production company that shines a light on the bleak reality of life inside these vast distribution centres.

Utieyin knows first-hand 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.

Utieyin, a 25-year-old Glasgow-based comedian, said: ‘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?’

Speaking about his casting, he said: ‘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 3 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.

Utieyin – who took part in a Chortle Hotshots showcase in Edinburgh last month – 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.’

Louis believes casting actors with genuine experience brings authenticity to films like On Falling, saying: ‘You could cast a nepo baby or a trained actor, but you’d lose that emotional depth. There’s something real when people who’ve actually lived these stories tell them.

‘This film is an immigrant story: about coming to Scotland alone, struggling to find connection, working a job where people don’t respect you. Immigrants aren’t valued. With everything going on, it feels like we’re treated as a burden. But we’re not, we’re already going through so much just to survive.

‘When I first arrived in the UK, I thought, If I leave, who’s going to do this work? It’s hard for immigrants here. The loneliness, the alienation, you just want a chance to survive, but it’s not easy.

‘It was the right choice to cast people with real experience. It makes the film more authentic, and more filmmakers should take this approach - especially with immigrant stories. People need to see and understand these realities.

‘The UK needs this more than ever. We need more immigrant perspectives in cinema."

On Falling is the latest film to be produced by Sixteen Films, the company co-founded by I, Daniel Blake filmmaker Ken Loach, and is in cinemas now. Find screenings at www.conic.film/onfalling

Here’s Utieyin on stage: