The backdrop to this accomplished picture is Poland, 1990. Although communism has fallen and a new era of optimism is around the corner, the reality for four women is different. A grey-washed colour palette that takes its cues from cigarette ash and despair suggests that any hope of self-fulfilment is likely to be thwarted. The talented young writer-director Tomasz Wasilewski has an eye for eloquent framing and touches of absurdity, both of which evoke the work of Austrian film-maker Ulrich Seidl. While all the performances are strong, there are a couple of moments that stand out: one is a slow waltz, pregnant with tacit longing; the other a family meal in which a relationship fragments in a few cruel words. It’s a tough watch, however, discouraging thoughts that the country’s new liberty might extend to sexual freedom.
