Symphony of the Ursus Factory

The Ursus factory once covered 170 hectares and employed 20,000 workers, producing 100 tractors a day. Now, its buildings stand derelict and empty; half have already been demolished by investors with new plans. The symphony of mechanical sounds and gestures that is gradually built up throughout the film is produced by former factory employees. Proud of their factory, they reminisce about the huge numbers of people and the parties they had. They were a community, passionate about supporting agriculture through their factory. The Ursus tractor was well-known, not only in Poland but throughout the world. The energy these people had becomes palpable in their re-enactments. This is the story of bygone forms of labour. Jaśmina Wójcik worked with this group for nine months. She does not permit nostalgia, but offers a glimpse of an era we can no longer imagine. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)