The Pawnshop

Łukasz Kowalski
Poland, 2022, 75 min

Millennium Docs Against Gravity

A moving story, full of wacky humor, about people who struggle to survive while helping those in greater need. Jola and Wiesiek are a pair of eccentric businessmen from Bytom. Together with their three employees they run probably the biggest pawnshop in Europe. However, the time of its glory has passed with the closure of nearby mines and growing unemployment in the city. Deprived of a livelihood, the inhabitants of "Polish Detroit" pawn increasingly absurd and useless objects. Neither Wieśek's crazy marketing ideas nor Jola's tender heart can help the failing business. She supports her clients not only with a kind word but also with hot soup or a warm coat. Although the pawnshop brings losses, it becomes an important center of life for the local community. Soon, however, it finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy, and Jola and Wieśek's relationship is put to the test. With disaster looming, the owners make one last attempt to save their business and their love.