Product Details

• Actors: Aleksandra Gietner, Karolina Sobczak, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Malgorzata Rozniatowska, Krzysztof Kiersznowski
• Directors: Robert Glinski
• Format: PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen, Import, Black & White
• Subtitles: English, German, Polish
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Propaganda
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B002LJ27PE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,439 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Poland released, PAL/Region free DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: SPOKEN LANGUAGE: POLISH Dolby Digital 2.0; SUBTITLES: ENGLISH, GERMAN, POLISH; WIDESCREEN 1,85:1; SYNOPSIS: Veteran Polish filmmaker Robert Glinski takes a DV camera in hand to film this grim drama about "blockers," a generation who grew up in the gray soulless blocks of flats that mushroomed throughout the Eastern Bloc during the 1970s. Though she has fond memories of her childhood, Tereska's (Aleksandra Gietner) current living condition is less than ideal: her father is an unemployed alcoholic and her mother is a cold, distant factory worker. Having dreams of becoming a fashion designer, the shy, introverted Tereska enrolls in a trade school dedicated to tailoring and soon becomes fast friends with the brassy, rebellious Renata (Karolina Sobczak). With Renata's help, Tereska soon is smoking her first cigarette, having her furtive sexual encounter, and engaging in her first crime. At the same time, she befriends an elderly custodian named Edek (Zbigniew Zamachowski).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling drama about peer pressure, fitting in and lost innocence, August 29, 2009

By 

Richard J. Brzostek (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Czesc, Tereska (DVD)

Hi, Tereska (Czesc, Tereska) is a compelling drama about peer pressure, fitting in and lost innocence. This 2001 film is beautifully shot in black and white, which gives the movie a different feeling that works well. Tereska is a young teenager with ambitions to be a fashion designer so her parents enroll her in a technical school. Tereska wants to fit in at her new school but her life takes a turn when she befriends Renata.

Renata is a manipulator and a bully. Renata is the type of person who leads the conversation with her questions and tripping someone up with them gives her a kick. Tereska's friendship with Renata brings about all sorts of trouble; call it peer pressure or a desire to fit in, Tereska begins smoking, drinking and fooling around with the boys. To say Renata is corrupting the morals of Tereska would sum it up nicely.

We are reminded that growing up isn't so easy in this movie. Even the adults in Tereska's life can be viewed with some suspicion of not having her interests in mind. Her mother has a man named Edek (Zbigniew Zamachowski), who is in a wheel chair, watch her one time when she was younger. Tereska visits Edek from time to time but he is a pervert that always asks her to kiss him. He offers her cigarettes and booze but wants a kiss in return.

The story is very sad but is one that happens in just about every town in the world every year more times than I could guess. I don't think the movie glamorizes life spiraling out of control but gives the viewer a chance to see the effects of choices that may not be so wise. It doesn't spare us the sordid parts of life and perhaps the point of the movie is to do just that. The story is a top rate drama but one that may make some uncomfortable.