poverty and economic hardship

His films consistently depict the struggles of working-class and economically disadvantaged individuals navigating welfare systems and employment precarity.

He explores poverty and familial bonds among the economically marginalized with compassion and nuance, particularly in films like 'Shoplifters' and 'Nobody Knows'.

Their intimate realist cinema examines the daily hardships and moral dilemmas faced by economically struggling families and unemployed individuals in contemporary Europe.