11-year-old Jula behaves like any other girl her age. She experiments with makeup, dyes her hair, and tries alcohol and cigarettes. The only difference is that Jula lives on Europe’s largest landfill, located near Moscow, just 20 km from the Kremlin. The landfill is fenced and guarded, yet a small community lives there, functioning outside the law and the outside world.
Terrible conditions prevail in this inhumane place. Trucks and excavators bring huge mountains of rubbish throughout the day, while Jula, her mother and friends try to find something in them that will help them survive another day. Every day, they find food or materials in the rubbish, which they later use to build a primitive shelter.
Director Hanna Polak has been observing this unique community with her camera for more than 14 years. The members of this extraordinary group admit that they can no longer see any alternative for themselves, and that their lives are worth less than the fate of dogs. It was not always this way—in the past, they were doctors, drivers or teachers.
This confirms the thesis that life in Putin’s country is not among the easiest. During the filming, Jula changed from a girl into a woman. She did not stop dreaming, however. She is proud, has no intention of giving up and is doing everything she can to escape the hell that the landfill is for her. She wants to start living differently and dreams of a small apartment of her own.
Running time: 98 min. CK Muza invites you on January 20 at 7:00 p.m..
CK Muza/ii