I Never Cry – Jak najdalej city (2020)

Directed by: Piotr Domalewski | 98 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: Zofia Stafiej, Tomasz Ziek, Kinga Preis, Arkadiusz Jakubik, Dawid Tulej, Nigel O’Neill, Shane Casey, David Pearse, Donncha Crowley, Cosmina Stratan, Zofia Przygonska, Liam Gaffney, Tomasz Dedek, Andrzej Klak

Labor migration is a major problem in Eastern Europe. Countless families are torn apart because one or sometimes both parents go abroad to find work. Sometimes families are reunited after a few months. Sometimes it takes years. And then there are the cases where family members never see each other again. The reasons are different, but one thing is always certain: the children are the victims. ‘I Never Cry’, the second feature film by director Piotr Domalewski, revolves around this problem.

Polish teenager Ola (Zofia Stafiej) comes from a poor family. She has a disabled brother, an overworked mother and a father who works as a seasonal worker in Ireland. While Ola does everything she can to avoid going to school, she works illegally at a car wash to raise money for a car. Her mother is strongly against this, but on her father’s side it remains remarkably quiet. He has not been heard from since his departure to Ireland.

One day, Ola learns that her father has died in a tragic accident at a shipyard. Since her mother only speaks Polish, Ola is assigned to travel to Ireland to retrieve his body. The journey is arduous and unpleasant, partly due to the bureaucratic processes that constantly hinder Ola. As her heart sinks further and further, Ola also discovers that her father led a hidden life in Ireland. How well did she really know him?

With ‘I Never Cry’ filmmaker Piotr Domalewski presents a coming of age story against the background of modern Europe. He offers a calm and consistent view of the world of labor migration, through the eyes of 17-year-old Ola. We perceive contemporary Ireland in gloomy, matt colours. This is the island where Ola tries to accomplish her arduous task, but at the same time the place where she hopes to find a degree of transparency. Her path is one of trial and error.

The obstacles Domalewski faces for his characters are bitter, and the fate that awaits them is not always rosy. The proximity of the harsh reality is sometimes downright painful. Yet ‘I Never Cry’ grants itself a fine sense of black comedy between all seriousness: there is always room for absurdities and a pinch of humour. Leading actor Zofia Stafiej contributes a lot to this. She portrays a believable and colorful character that always strives for total independence. Sometimes it is pathetic, sometimes venomous. Between all the drama, Stafie regularly manages to create the much-needed lightness.

The plot of ‘I Never Cry’ is somewhat predictable at times, but the Polish film nevertheless manages to do a lot, with apparently few resources. Moreover, there is never a lack of pure humanism in this film, and that is worth mentioning.