Synopsis
Our Street takes place in Lodz, Poland, a city ruined after the downfall of comunism. The old and the new Europe meet here. Right beneath the windows of a working-class family that has been living here for five generations a French company is building the biggest commercial & leisure center in Eastern Europe, inside the ruins of the factory that once made this city The Promised Land, one of the richest in Europe. What influence will it have upon the lives of these people?
Both the factory and the houses where the family lives were built in the 19th century in the same characteristic red brick. Lodz was one of the Europe's richest cities. Created by Polish, Jewish and German factory owners, it was the heart of the textile industry which continued during the times of comunism. However, after the downfall of comunism, the factories were closed down and went to rack and ruin. Now Lodz has the highest level of unemployement of all Poland's big cities.
Most of the supermarkets and commercial centres are situated near the city center. Now the Manufaktura shall cover 28 hectares in great proximity of the city's main street – Piotrkowska St. What influence will it have upon the city's economic development and upon the lives of these people? The Famuloki are oficially considered historical sites so they cannot be torn down. But what shall happen to their inhabitants?
What interests people most is… people. Hence, 'Our Street' is a film about simple people witnessing the changes in the nowadays Europe. It is a film about their everyday struggle against the system that offers a paradise which is out of their reach; about a struggle to keep their dignity and find their way in the surrounding reality. Through Furmanczyk family we can see 'the world in a drop of water'. Is there hope for the young generation in the capitalist world? Are the values like human being and dignity lost in the modern world? Are they replaced with success, profit, money?
Both the factory and the houses where the family lives were built in the 19th century in the same characteristic red brick. Lodz was one of the Europe's richest cities. Created by Polish, Jewish and German factory owners, it was the heart of the textile industry which continued during the times of comunism. However, after the downfall of comunism, the factories were closed down and went to rack and ruin. Now Lodz has the highest level of unemployement of all Poland's big cities.
Most of the supermarkets and commercial centres are situated near the city center. Now the Manufaktura shall cover 28 hectares in great proximity of the city's main street – Piotrkowska St. What influence will it have upon the city's economic development and upon the lives of these people? The Famuloki are oficially considered historical sites so they cannot be torn down. But what shall happen to their inhabitants?
What interests people most is… people. Hence, 'Our Street' is a film about simple people witnessing the changes in the nowadays Europe. It is a film about their everyday struggle against the system that offers a paradise which is out of their reach; about a struggle to keep their dignity and find their way in the surrounding reality. Through Furmanczyk family we can see 'the world in a drop of water'. Is there hope for the young generation in the capitalist world? Are the values like human being and dignity lost in the modern world? Are they replaced with success, profit, money?
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