Cult of Concrete
Title – Cult of Concrete / Original title – Betonowy Kult / Film by Haukur M / Written by Haukur M & Łukasz Długołęcki / Genre: feature documentary /
Duration: approx. 90 min. / Year of premiere: 2016 / Location: Łódź, Poland
Logline
After the fall of one cult, another rises. The concrete streets of a post-socialist city become the first playground for a new generation of skaters.
Synopsis
ŁÓDŹ 1989, It was the time when stairs became more than just stairs, became more than a place to sit, drink beer and smoke cigarettes. Riding became a way of life for young teenagers and skateboarding came to symbolize the California sun, freedom and independence. A place far away from the poor, derelict post industrial city in the east. A city that didn’t offer many opportunities for the youth back in the 1980’s and 90’s. Lodz, supported by socialist system textile industry was going down, unemployment grew together with birth of private businesses that were not able to support the city’s economics, the differences between poor and rich became visible.
Witnessing the city’s transformation every time they step on that board, they forget the rest and ride. When claiming the streets as their playground, they found the forgotten love and respect for their city, a feeling that can only be experienced through a piece of wood on wheels.
In time however the friends lost their way, caught in the business they created. Increasing competition for customers and the need to survive turned them against each other... Will they find their way back to the mentality of teenage freedom and harmony which was their friendship growing up, or will they become victims of free market and commercialism.
