Takie zycie

Wit Zieliński, who is retired, lives with and takes care of his mother in a house in the Polish countryside. He helps her wash, cooks and feeds her, and talks with her. Though she does sometimes sing patriotic songs, the old woman rarely speaks, and is gradually losing her memory. Daniel Zieliński has made a sensitive film about his father and grandmother that in every scene carries an important message about old age within the family context. Well composed black-and-white shots capture the everyday lives of the pair, along with the visits of family members. The communication between son and mother, full of love and friendship, contrasts sharply with the inability of other relatives to spend even a short time with the elderly woman. Attention, rather, is focused on the family pets, who receive more affection from grandchildren than their own blood relation. Meanwhile, a conversation between father and son reveals the loneliness of a person whose work others take for granted. Recognition or an offer of help would salve Wit's difficult relationship with his family. (One World)