FILMS > FINISHED >

THE PAWNSHOP

POLISH TITLE: LOMBARD

A moving story, full of wacky humor, about people who struggle to survive while helping those in greater need. Jola and Wiesiek are a pair of eccentric businessmen from Bytom. Together with their three employees they run probably the biggest pawnshop in Europe. However, the time of its glory has passed with the closure of nearby mines and growing unemployment in the city. Deprived of a livelihood, the inhabitants of "Polish Detroit" pawn increasingly absurd and useless objects. Neither Wieśek's crazy marketing ideas nor Jola's tender heart can help the failing business. She supports her clients not only with a kind word but also with hot soup or a warm coat. Although the pawnshop brings losses, it becomes an important center of life for the local community. Soon, however, it finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy, and Jola and Wieśek's relationship is put to the test. With disaster looming, the owners make one last attempt to save their business and their love. 

GENRE:
documentary
COUNTRY:
Poland
RUNNING TIME:
75'
YEAR:
COLOUR:
colour
DIRECTING:
Łukasz Kowalski
SCRIPT:
Łukasz Kowalski
EDITOR:
Adriana F. Castellanos
MUSIC:
Krzysztof Aleksander Janczak
SOUND:
Katarzyna Szczerba
COPRODUCTION:
Canal+ Polska

Łukasz Kowalski »

director, journalist, creator of television programmes.
He graduated from the Department of Philology at the University of Silesia in Katowice with a degree in Social Communication. He is a graduate of Wajda School in Warsaw. Since 2007 professionally associated with Polish Television. Author of over 170 short documentary films and intervention and investigative reportages broadcast on TVP1 ("Celownik”, "Polska Non Stop”), TVP2 ("Magazyn Ekspresu Reporterów”, "Kontakt”, "Reporter Polski”), and TVP Info ("Telekurier”). In his work he touches on difficult and controversial topics, always putting a human being centre stage. He won many awards in the most prestigious nation-wide journalist competitions, such as Ryszard Kapuściński PAP Award or "Watergate” Award granted by the Polish Association of Journalists. Director of the Polish-German series of programmes "Co słychać sąsiedzie?” – project executed by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR1) and Polish Television (TVP2) in collaboration with the editors of "Deutsche Welle", for which he was nominated to the Polish-German Tadeusz Mazowiecki Journalist Award.
Since 2014 he has collaborated with a TV programme "Ktokolwiek widział, ktokolwiek wie…”, managing its editorial work since 2016 as a co-author and co-editor.
Since 2018 involved in television and film production as co-owner of “4:30 Pictures”, a small production company based in Katowice.
He participated in many master classes, workshops, and professional trainings (also abroad) in the field of media and film direction. He shares his knowledge with journalism students all over Poland.
AT FESTIVALS: