Family Life (1971 Polish film)


Family Life is a 1971 Polish drama film written and directed by Krzysztof Zanussi. It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Polish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 44th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

A young engineer named Ziemowit Braun, known as Wit, receives a telegram summoning him home due to his father's illness. Wit left home six years ago and has had no contact with his family since then. He arrives at his family's dilapidated estate accompanied by Marek, a friend from university.
At home, the men find his father, who has a drinking problem and now spends most of his time distilling moonshine, living with his sister-in-law, who acts as his housekeeper, and his daughter Bella, an unemployed neurotic. All three, dissatisfied with their lives, try to persuade Wit to stay with them and take over a small workshop producing Christmas tree baubles. Marek watches the family drama with embarrassment.

Cast