Trains

Poland, Lithuania2024documentary80'Polish Documentary Panorama

Can a train serve as a metaphor for human destiny? Maciej J. Drygas, one of Poland’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers, spent seven years collecting archival footage for the film, which won the Grand Prix at the IDFA festival. ‘Trains’ is a monumental journey through 20th-century Europe, in which the railway route is intertwined with the history of wars, migrations and social changes. From the euphoria of the first travellers, through the transports of soldiers and exiles to the post-war returns, the film unfolds into a mesmerising symphony with music by Paweł Szymański in the background.