Z ODZYSKU (RETRIEVAL)

Poland, 2006, 98 minutes, Colour.
Antoni Pawlicki, Nataliya Vdovina, Jacek Braciak.
Directed by Slawomir Fabicki.

A contemporary Polish slice of life, grim but with some hope for redemption.

Woitik is 19, in casual jobs, in a relationship with Katya, a young woman with a son, from Ukraine. His prospects are clean-up in a pig farm. When he participates in illegal boxing matches, he is offered a security job by a local petty gangster with a surface charming manner but a brutal philosophy especially for the retrieval of money loaned.

It is not hard to guess what happens. The important thing is to watch how Woitik falls lower and lower and wonder whether and how he will experience a change of heart. His love for Katya and getting her residence and work papers? His love for her son whom he treats as his own? His strong-minded grandfather? His fat mate who also gets a job as a thug? When Woitik returns to the pigs, it is a reminder of the parable of the Prodigal Son. As he swims home across the river, the symbolism of washing, cleansing and healing is a final image.

Life in a modern Polish industrial town is not easy. But values still have their place.

1. A slice of Polish life? The beginning of the 21st century? Hardship in an industrial town? Amongst the poor, the migrants?

2. The city setting, the industrial areas, the mine, homes, the pig farms, the contrast with the clubs and the more affluent his homes? The cross-section of the city? The musical score?

3. The portrait of Wojtek? His age, inexperience? The opening with the mine and his companion falling? His needing a new job? The influence of his grandfather, of his mother? His absent father? His getting the job at the pig farm? His participation in the boxing matches? The boss and his interest? Offering him the security job? His friend upset about not getting the job? The relationship with Katya, her refugee status, her son? His love for her, her love for him? His doing the jobs? His being asked to retrieve money? The bashings? The man in the greenhouse and Wojtek's violence? His getting the job for his fat friend? His dependence of the gangster boss? His lies to Katya? The money, the improved house, the possibility of getting her documents? Inviting his grandfather and mother to the meal? The fondness of the grandfather for the boy? The continued demands, going to the boss's house, the birthday party? His having to confront the butcher? His companion and the drug-taking and dealing? His refusal? His potential for good, his being trapped? Katya and her leaving him, her horror at what had happened? His deciding to go back to the pig farm, his being bashed by the thugs with his fat friend watching? His swimming back across the river - to some kind of redemption and hope?

4. Katya, from the Ukraine, her son? Her love for Wojtek? Her cleaning at the strip joint? Her moving in with Wojtek, the new house? Her suspicions? His moodiness, the lies? Andre being bashed because of accusations that he was a gangster? Her going away, the grandfather looking after them? The quiet meeting, the effect on Wojtek, his going back to the farm? Her being there for him - and a future? Her going to the gangster boss and submitting herself sexually on behalf of Wojtek?

5. The boy, his age, experience, learning Polish? Love for Wojtek, bashed by the kids because of the accusation? His being looked after by the grandfather?

6. The grandfather, dominant figure, getting his grandson the job? The visit, the model plane? His criticisms? His confronting Wojtek in public? Wojtek's outburst against him? His caring for Katya? Wojtek's mother, in the background, her bitterness?

7. The gangster boss, small town, big fish? The boxing match, recruiting Wojtek, recruiting his friend? The jobs, the retrieval of the money? His own personal violence? The contrast with his wife and children? Going to the prostitutes? His interview with Katya? His relentlessness, allowing his thugs to bash Wojtek?

8. The friend, with Wojtek at the boxing? His wanting the job, his becoming a thorough thug, watching the final bashing?

9. The background of the life in the town, the mine and the disaster? The men at the boxing matches? The strip joint and the customers? The girls and their performance? Cleaning jobs, pig farms?

10. The importance of finding values and redemption in the contemporary hard world?