Arizona (1998)

Movie ★ 7.5 46 min

The title does not refer to the American state, but to a cheap wine brand that flows liberally in this documentary. Socially, things look bad for the inhabitants of the Polish village Zagórki since the state farm they worked on went bankrupt a few years ago. It happened in 1990; since then, the 750,000-acre estate looks deserted and the former farm workers and cattle drivers are sitting at home, musing on the old days and complaining about the grievous wrongs suffered by them. From a flourishing, thriving community, the village is now reduced to a sad lot of embittered people, whose sole income is a small allowance and whose sole distraction is the muddled intoxication of the cheap Arizona wine. The camera mercilessly registers the dismal condition of the houses and streets, and the numerous candid interviews supply a poignant image of the blind-alley situation in this remote village.

Ewa Borzecka Director Ewa Borzecka Writer