Winner—Best Mid-Length Documentary Award
Once a symbol of the golden age of Soviet agricultural machinery production, the Ursus Factory has been deserted by its tens of thousands of Polish workers since the collapse of Communism. In an experimental participatory project, former Ursus employees are invited by a team of choreographers, musicians and filmmakers led by artist Jasmina Wójcik to recreate a typical day of work. On the plant's ruins, workers, engineers, managers and secretaries re-enact the movements their bodies never forgot, giving birth to a mind-blowing dance enriched by a soundtrack composed from the sounds of heavy machinery. Culminating in a magnificent tractor ballet that's like nothing you've ever seen, the symphony brings to life the almost-forgotten values of community, solidarity and dignity of labour. This collaborative art piece celebrates the contribution of working people and proposes a historical narrative that takes notice of their lives. Charlotte Selb
Co-presented with Ekran - Toronto Polish Film Festival