PILGRIMAGE FOR THE EURO

North American Premiere

"We're not just anybody, we're Upper Silesian boys!" So declares Piotr, a central figure in PILGRIMAGE FOR THE EURO, director Tomasz Blachniki's serio-comic portrayal of three down-and-out Poles seeking work and better pay as guest workers in Ireland. Part buddy pic, part road movie and part quest, this heartfelt and idiosyncratic tale turns the prototypically dire migrant worker narrative on its head, providing refreshing insight into the heated stateside debate over the status of illegal low-wage workers.

The film charts the quixotic journey of the main subject, Piotr, and his comrades Zdzis and Antek as their search for work takes them from one coast to the next. Trekking across the picturesque Irish countryside with little more than the camping gear strapped to their backs, the three get by on canned food, a handful of euros and their seriously limited English. It is a precarious situation. As potential jobs fall through and work proves elusive, things look increasingly grim and Piotr's early confidence turns to fear and dejection. The more optimistic Zdzis fights to keep his friend's spirits up. Faithful Antek, arriving later than the other two, bolsters the group's fading enthusiasm with his preternatural calm.

This guileless trio is as appealing as the warm and welcoming Irish folk they encounter along the way. Their journey is marked by disappointments, joys, moments of comedy and hard-won wisdom. One can't help but root for these hopeful men and their search for a better life.

-Paul Meyers

Sponsored by
The Polish Embassy

DIRECTOR BIO
Tomasz Blachnicki studied cultural studies, film and television production at Kieslowski Faculty of Radio and Television in the Czech Republic. He is the director of several documentary films (PARENTS NEED TO HIT, GUARDS?, NO RULES) and is the co-director of the documentary TV series JARMARK EUROPA and BATTLE OF BRITAIN.

Print Source:
Beata Biel
TVN
ul. Plk. Dabka 2
Poland, Krakow
30-832
+48.0502.555.638
b.biel@tvn.pl

6/14 at 10:00 PM

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