The Boot Factory (2002)

In a factory bunker on the outskirts of Krakow, a group of punk outsiders live by their own rules, bobbing their heads to the sound of their favorite bands while hand stitching leather boots labeled "hand stitched in Poland." The crisp charcoal-like images are framed and edited to vibrate along with the punk rock music that fills the workspace during the day and fuels the parties at night. This unique boot factory shows that rock and roll can still represent real resistance. The camera moves discreetly, always immersed in the events. Extreme close-ups of the leather and of the scars on the flesh are tactile, tangible and touchable. Cult director Kowalski reveals the simmering tension in the bootmakers' lives and the releases they find in their work and music. The images confront us directly, the music intrusive, scenes gather speed and tumble forward. Nevertheless the apparent spontaneity of the pictures conceals a real mastery of cinematic techniques. The camera follows their lives first showing the mythical aspect of the enterprise but then a harsher reality.