Torowisko

Using the backdrop of the banality and ordinariness of everyday life in a small provincial town, the film analyses the relationship between two women friends, who struggle to find their way in post-communist Poland. The small events of their lives represent universal feelings of being trapped and lost in a new world, in contrast to the successes of the dark side of democracy - drug dealing, crime and pornography. By its very nature, the film creates a picture of provincial Poland after democracy, but its charm is in the understated relationship between the two friends and the people around them and in the mosaic structure that builds up the film piece by piece.

Directed by Urszula Urbaniak, Torowisko leans on a strong ensemble — Karolina Dryzner, Ewa Lorska, Ewa Dałkowska — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1999.