DISTANCES

Matej Bobrik / Poland / 2023 / World Premiere / 84 min.

synopsis

Eight years ago, Shiv moved with his wife and young son from Nepal to Poland for a better life. Now in Warsaw, he makes a living by delivering food and by night as a taxi driver. At the same time, his teenage son goes to school and his wife sits at home unhappy. A time-lapse portrait of an immigrant family follows their seemingly ordinary life as well as interpersonal conflicts. Misunderstandings, old grievances and different values lead to the breakdown of family well-being and painful separation. The film sensitively portrays the problems faced by immigrants in Europe, and at the same time focuses attention on their individual life destinies, dreams and hopes.

“You can’t drop out of school to become a YouTuber. It doesn’t work like that.”

biography

Matej Bobrik (1982) is a Slovak director and screenwriter born in Prague. He currently lives and works in Warsaw. He studied film directing at the National Film School in Łódź, then completed a documentary course at Wajda Studio in Warsaw. His short film The Visit (2013) was awarded at Ji.hlava IDFF.