One of the largest producers of agricultural machinery in Europe, the Ursus factory was spread over 170 hectares and employed 20,000 workers. It was the pride of the Polish industry for nearly the entire 20th century, but the collapse of communism was the beginning of the factory’s end and now, its buildings stand derelict and empty. When the factory shut its doors, the working lives of tens of thousands of employees were consigned to the dustbin of history.
The symphony of mechanical sounds and gestures that is gradually built up throughout the film is produced by former workers who were invited by the filmmaker to re-enact one day at the plant. Proud of the Ursus factory, the workers reminisce about their past lives when they were a community, passionate about supporting agriculture through their work. Jaśmina Wójcik collaborated with the former employees of Ursus for nine months to present a glimpse of a bygone era.
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