Cześć, Tereska

Tereska lives with her parents and little sister in one of the many pre-fab blocks of flats built under the Communists. Nothing about Tereska’s family is exceptional: her father occasionally drinks and her mother, a pious woman, rather blatantly prefers Tereska’s younger sister. Tereska dreams of escaping this world and becoming a fashion designer. She starts attending a sewing school where she meets Renata, a more experienced girl who strongly influences her life: she tries cigarettes and alcohol, steals for the first time, and gains her first, none-too-pleasant sexual experience. Of course, hanging out with Renata and a group of boys from the housing complex is no way for Tereska to find the true feelings she is longing for. Her only ally is Edzio, a disabled guard with whom she can act naturally; in his company she even sometimes seems happy. But in the end, he’s the one Tessa punishes for the dearth of feelings around her. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)