My Town

Colour, 35 mm
Poland, 2002, 60 min
Section: East of the West
Oficiální stránky: www.mojemiasto.art.pl

Synopsis

An isolated prefab apartment building stands in the suburbs of an Upper Silesian city. Its shabbiness and uninspiring surroundings suck the tenants towards resignation. Goździk, who missed a university entrance exam and has become a slacker (much to his parents’ chagrin), is affected by it like everyone else. His unemployed father constantly sits by a fishless pond, soothing his despondency with vodka. His mother maintains the illusion of family decency. The Dabrowski Brothers, who chase away rats and boredom with bullying, are the terror of the other tenants. Uncle Jan’s visit brings a bit of excitement to the family: after his departure the mother is missing some money. Goździk falls in love with the orphan Zosia. But as he doesn’t know how to approach her, the girl leaves. Uncle Jan then returns the money, which he needed temporarily for paying a debt. He insists that the family move to a more sensible place. Goździk says goodbye to the empty apartment and, as he hopes, also to despair.

About the director

Marek Lechki (b. 1975) applied for film school in Lodz but was not accepted. He then studied library science and public cultural education in Wroclaw, focusing on film. He has shot several shorts which gained attention at amateur competitions. In 1998, he was accepted to the University of Silesia (Katowice) in radio and television production. While in school he made several dramatic and documentary etudes. Noteworthy is the twenty-minute film Astronomer about a boy who longs for the warmth of home. He wrote the script for My Town in his third year, and Polish Television supported its realization as part of the Generation 2000 project. His debut My Town took the Special Jury Prize (as did Piotr Trzaskalski’s Edi) and Best Screenplay at the 27th Gdynia FF.