THE FACES OF EUROPE: BOATS AT THE HILL - THE SKOWRONSKI´S PLEASANT LIFE

We are in West Masuria, known as "Ermland", a former part of East Prussia. South of Gdansk lie many lakes some of them connected by a canal. This man-made waterway is 140 years old and acted originally as a goods canal serving the Baltic Sea. Today the canal is used only by tourists. An exceptional feature of the waterway is - and that is truly unique in the world - that the boats run in five places across dry land: Boats on grass! - On tracks! The idea for this was thought up by a Prussian engineer to overcome nearly 100m in height difference between the lakes.

Even today the slipways work only with hydro power - ecologically perfect. The brothers Alojzy and Jozef Skowronski are working as machinists on the slipways. They are already the 3rd generation of their family working in this job. It's their life, their existence, their happiness and their paradise. The brothers took the job over from their father and would like to pass it on to their children and grandchildren. The young generation, however, sees a problem in the low income and their own growing demands.

"Boats at the hill" is a portrait of the brothers Skowronski and their families. It describes the happiness of the elder and the scepticism of the younger generation - conflict inclusive. The film is also telling us of the canal and its Socialist past and Capitalist present.

A film by ARTE , 2007
45 min. documentary

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