1 day ago
Year: 1995. Poland is in the midst of a political transformation. Shops have everything, but for many families, foreign products like Coca-Cola, Snickers, and real bananas are still considered luxuries. Private television (Polsat) competes with TVP, and bands like De Mono, Varius Manx, and Boys dominate the radio.
Apartment: The scene takes place in a typical prefab apartment in a residential building, such as in Wrocław, Łódź, or Warsaw's Ursynów district. The apartment is approximately 55 square meters.
2. Characters:
Tomek (14): A boy at a difficult age. He's dressed in jeans and a navy blue hoodie, under which he wears a Nirvana T-shirt (a knockoff bought at a market). His hair is styled in an imperfect, "eye-length fringe." He's torn between rebellion and his father's desire for acceptance. His thoughts are on the new Gorillaz album "Demon Days," which he borrowed from a friend, but he can't listen to it because his parents are watching TV.
Andrzej (43), father: An engineer at a state-owned company undergoing restructuring. He feels insecure in this new reality, remembering the communist era with nostalgia, as a simpler time. He's wearing a suit, but he's already taken off his jacket and tie. His authority at home is being questioned by his teenage son, which irritates him.
Bożena (42), mother: She works as an accountant for a small company. She's tired of juggling work and household chores. She feels like no one appreciates her. Her dream is to renovate her kitchen and replace her wall unit with something "Western."
Ania (12), sister: A model student, her father's favorite. She has a room full of posters of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and Jason Priestley. She's currently collecting stickers from the "Crystal" diaries and swaps them with her friends.
3. Set Design and Atmosphere:
Location: A small hallway, with a dining room connected to the living room behind it.
Kitchen: The kitchen is made of particleboard, covered in white laminate with brown streaks. On the countertop is a Philips juicer and a Polish "Beryl" electric kettle. A colorful floral curtain hangs over the window.
Dining Room: The focal point is a round light wood table (with extendable legs), covered with a navy blue and white checked oilcloth. The chairs have worn orange upholstery. A rug with a deer print hangs on the wall, and beneath it stands a dark oak wall unit. In the center of the room stands a Junak or Belweder CRT television, with a hanger of drying socks on it.
Smells: The aroma of Sunday pork chops frying in oil lingers, mingled with the scent of boiled potatoes and pickled cucumbers. In the background, there's also the whiff of "White Jeleń" floor polish and the dampness of laundry drying on the balcony.
Sounds: The television is playing the program "Złota Hundred" on Polsat, hosted by Marcin Prokop. The song "Będziemy Silni" by the band będzie silni plays in the background. From somewhere behind the wall comes the sound of a neighbor's hammer drill renovating his apartment.
4. Dinner details:
Main course: Pork chop, lightly fried, the breading crispy only on the edges. Boiled potatoes with dill and white cabbage salad (grated, not shredded) with carrots and apples.
Drinks: Strawberry compote (frozen from last summer) or "Bogumiły" tea bags in glasses with metal baskets. For the children, there's also "Pysio" orange soda in a returnable bottle.
Dishware: Cheap, white plates with brown rims, cutlery from Common. Paper napkins in a metal basket.
