Smaller Sky 1981 train movie Mniejsze niebo

Smaller Sky (1981, Poland)

Original title: Mniejsze niebo

Running time: 96 minutes

Language: Polish

Locations: was filmed in WroclawLower SilesiaPoland

Artur Gutner, 45-year-old research worker in the Institute of Microbiology, married, father of two children, one day decides to change his life. He quits his job, leaves his family and moves out of the house. From that day he begins to live on the train station and sleeps in the hotel attached to the station. His friend, Filip, accidentally meets him on one of the platforms and is surprised by the evasive way Artur is answering his questions. He would not admit that he practically never leaves the station, he does not want to talk about the reasons why he is there, he does not want to talk about his family or work. Elzbieta, Artur’s wife, doesn’t know how to explain to children that their father just left and she doesn’t even know where he is. Doctor Barcz calls Artur on the phone and asks him if they could meet. Gutner agrees, although he never met Barcz before and does not know what it the reason. It turns out that Filip asked Barcz, a psychiatrist, to speak to Artur and find out if he is ok. Gutner is again evasive, but ensures Barcz that his decision wasn’t a hasty one - he has sufficient money, he enjoys living in the hotel and he will be supporting his family. Barcz leaves, but Artur becomes suspicious. Later he sees his son, Daniel, in the crowd. Young boy was looking for him to see if the rumours were true that Artur has mental problems. Meanwhile Elzbieta meets her old friend, journalist Marek, who wants to help her and at the same time to find an interesting material for his TV programme. He tries to find out what made Artur change his life that way.

Drama filmed almost entirely on Wroclaw train station, where the protagonist spends his whole days just sitting there, watching people, walking around the main hall. None of his friends or family can understand why he simply detached not only from his previous life, but it seems that from life itself. Smaller Sky is one of the Polish movies that explored the existential crisis of modern men. The monumental Wroclaw Glowny train station, built in 19th century and one of the busiest in Poland, helped to put the new life of Artur Gutner in completely different perspective. It is not an easy film, but strangely involving.

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Creators of Smaller Sky

Janusz Morgenstern

director

Janusz Morgenstern

screenplay

Cast of Smaller Sky

Roman Wilhelmi

as Artur Gutner

Beata Tyszkiewicz

as Elzbieta Gutner

Jan Englert

as Marek Weber

Wladyslaw Kowalski

as Filip Szmidt

Janusz Zaorski

as Doctor Barcz