Thale 2013

Two men clad in plastic biohazard suits are busy working as a cleaning crew at a gruesome crime scene. Among them is Elvis, who is struggling to cope with the sights and sounds of his surroundings, frequently vomiting into a bucket, showcasing his lack of experience in this grisly line of work. Conversely, his partner, Leo, remains surprisingly calm and collected as he diligently mops up a large pool of congealed blood on the floor with handfuls of paper towels. Just then, Leo’s cell phone rings, and as Elvis attempts to help by answering it, he unwittingly holds the phone up to Leo’s ear while Leo is still gloved and engaged in his task. Leo’s voice is steady as he introduces himself in a rather unorthodox manner: “No shit cleaning service, Leo speaking.”

While Leo listens intently to the details of their next cleaning job, Elvis can’t help but steal a glance at the horrifying crime scene, which sends him double over in nausea once more, leading him to drop Leo’s phone right into the bloodied mess. Unperturbed, Leo kneels down, leans in to retrieve the phone, and calmly completes the call to get the address for their next assignment. Once the conversation wraps up, he nonchalantly informs Elvis, “lunchtime.”

Excitedly, Elvis responds with a cheerful, “great!” The scene transitions to a serene lakeside in a secluded wooded area where Elvis stands swaying gently in the wind with his eyes closed. Leo approaches him with grave news about their upcoming task — they are to clean up after an elderly man whose remains have been scattered across the woodland. Leo shares that the police managed to recover only half of the body due to the presence of wild animals in the vicinity. Still swaying with his eyes closed, Elvis queries, “so we have to find the other half?”

Leo, with his typical nonchalance, shrugs off the macabre details of their job, while Elvis elaborates on his current state of bliss, stating that he’s simply enjoying the breeze. Leo then joins in, closing his eyes and swaying alongside Elvis. The duo prepares for the next gruesome task at hand, ensuring they will have to tear up the outhouse floor to search for the remaining human remains that have been buried beneath the surface. Inside the outhouse, Elvis starts tossing out various bits of clutter, making room for the grim work that lies ahead as they dive deeper into their next job.