Logline

Robert is a resident of a homeless shelter. He spends most of his winter evenings helping people living on the streets. Every stop is a pretext for a meeting. Every winter is a stop in "New Orchids".

Trailer

Director's Note

Every day at 9:00 p.m. a city bus departs from the homeless center "Nowe Sady". Instead of a line number, the LED board reads "For the needy". In addition to the driver and the carer, there are three residents on board: Robert, Adam and Witek. For the next 3 hours, they will be handing out food to the most needy residents of Łódź, while also flirting with girls and talking to friends living on the street.

For the characters in the film, each ride is an opportunity to meet and escape from the monotonous life in the center. The line between people in the crisis of homelessness living in "Nowe Sady" and those living on the street is thinner than it may seem.

The film was made during several rides on the "Bus for the needy". The camera accompanies the characters in routine activities related to the rides, during the handing out of meals, their conversations and romantic moments until they return to the center.

I wanted the viewer to feel like a passenger on a bus, to take on the perspective of a passenger and have the opportunity to observe people who have been given many negative labels. Without judgment, without idealization. I want everyone to be able to form their own opinion about the characters. Why? Because I think we are similar to each other. More than it may seem at first glance.

The characters are not perfect. Each of them carries their own baggage, trying to live a little better, to make the best decisions. Witek is a former commando who, after returning from a mission in Afghanistan, ended up on the street. Robert plans to find a job and rent an apartment, and Adam dreams of finding a girlfriend. Each of the plans seems within reach and at the same time very distant.

Festivals and awards

ROJAl Film Festival, Łotwa, 2023 - Wyróżnienie Jury (Special Jury Award)
29th International Short Film Week Regensburg 2023, Niemcy, 2023 
51th Huesca International Film Festival, 2023, Hiszpania, 2023 
Doku Baku, 2023, Azerbaijan, 2023
International Film Festival 3in1, Portugal, 2023
Busan Inter-City Film Festival, Korea Południowa, 2024
Boden International FIlm Festival, Sweden, 2023
EuroShorts Film Festival, Polska, 2023
Lublin Film Festival, Polska, 2023
Międzynarodowy Festiwal Filmowy Zoom Zbliżenia, Polska, 2023
Festiwal Filmowy Przeźrocza - Błysk Oka, Polska, 2023

Written and directed
Mariusz Biernacki

Cinematography
Mariusz Biernacki
Jan Cisiecki
Hanna Tarasiewicz

Film editors
Jakub Rados
Mariusz Biernacki

Production manager
Karolina Zimoch

Sound designer
Rafał Nowak

Artistic supervision
Maciej Drygas
Jacek Petrycki
Giovani Pierangeli

Editing consultations
Rafal Listopad
Bartosz Pietras

Cast
Robert
Witek
Adam
Rysiek
Ela

Special thanks to
The shelter for homeless men, St. Bat Albert Aid Society "Nowa Sady" in Łódź.