Zlota Street

Description: One of the 6,000 Jews still living in Warsaw, Krzysztof was not even aware of his heritage until fairly recently, when an old tenement building in the Ghetto was returned to his family under the re-privatisation laws. The tenement is home to people who have moved in after the war as well as more recent refugees. His Afghan and Syrian tenants appear happy to rebuild their lives in Poland. Krzysztof is conflicted about his Polish, Jewish and gay identities. He is as annoyed by intolerance of Polish society as he is by the Israeli tourists who seek to confirm their own misconceptions. While his wife Ida stays in Warsaw to manage the building, he spends much of his time abroad. Like some of his Jewish contemporaries, he too would like to emigrate. End titles reveal that a commission headed by Deputy First Minister of Justice Patryk Jaki has revoked the re-privatisation of the building, thereby dispossessing Krzysztof’s family once more of their inheritance.

Merits: This elegant and contemplative documentary gives a rare insight to life in contemporary Poland through its sympathetic portrait of Krysztof, his family, friends and tenants.

Rating: Suitable for all audiences.

Programming considerations: The version viewed by this reviewer contained English subtitles for Polish audio and Polish subtitles for English audio. Unfortunately, some of the English audio is undecipherable and would also benefit from English subtitles.

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