film synopsis
The “back then” of this delightfully performed, laugh-out-loud-funny episodic family dramedy is the mid-1980s in the People’s Republic of Poland. Tween Marta, her little sister Kasia, and their tart-tongued grandmother (who tells the girls gory stories about insurgents rather than fairy tales) all share a room in their tiny apartment. In the adjacent room are the parents, engineer Tadek and factory worker and Solidarity leader Elżbieta. Tadek has perfected a system for Poland’s ever-present queues: he sends Marta to stand in line until just before the business opens. His wife scoffs, "That line freak would buy a tank if people were queuing up for it!" Times are tough. But while Tadek and Elżbieta may secretly covet some of the material goods owned by her more prosperous brother, their own quirky family unit is rich in love and kindness.