TrafikFilm

Pawel, a Polish man in his early 30s, makes a living with his father Zygmunt importing second-hand clothing from the North of France to Southern Poland. On his way back from one of regular "business trips", Pawel is shocked to discover his father's picture on the cover of a Polish tabloid newspaper. The headline "traitor" is written next to his name. Zygmunt is a genuine hero of the struggle against totalitarianism and a recognized member of the "Solidarnosc" labor movement of the 80s. But now, Zygmunt is suddenly accused by the paper of having acted as a secret informer called THE MOLE by the communist regime.

Twenty-something Oliwia begins a journey into hell. Willing to uphold the family mining tradition and persuaded by her mother, she gets a job in the coal sorting plant of one of the Silesian mines. She oversees the machinery, picks out industrial waste by hand, and cleans up the coal dust. Her family knows no other career path, and the mine still represents the myth of life stability and a good old-age pension. Wanting to get Oliwia away from the grind of the mine, her hairdresser sister Iza shows her some alternative prospects.

Unable to come to terms with his father’s death, Rafał meets his murderer, 21-year-old Daniel, recently released from a juvenile detention center. As Daniel tries to rebuild his life, he teeters on the edge of homelessness and crime.

The cultural legacy of Polish cabaret pioneer Bohdan Smoleń comes alive in this intimate documentary exploring his professional highs and personal lows.