Pit No. 8

Estonia, Ukraine, 2010, 85’
director: Marianna Kaat
cinematography: Rein Kotov
editing: Max Golomidov
production: Baltic Film Production

In Poland, they’re called poor pits – unprofitable mines closed with mass layoffs, where coal is mined illegally. In eastern Ukraine, these mines often provide the only income for unemployed residents. Marianna Kaat’s film takes place in the town of Snizhne in the Donetsk Region. People left to fend for themselves have opened numerous coal holes here, some on their own land, even under their homes. This includes 15 year old Yura Sikanov, the grandson of the mine director in Soviet times, who sells the coal to support his family. His father died, his mother and stepfather drink, while his rebellious older sister wants to start living her own life. The director is less focused on the social and economic problem of the poor pits, gravitating instead to the Sikonov family, which she films for an entire year. She attempts to help the siblings expelled from homes and schools, barely making ends meet. The world financial crisis also hits home here, where the situation of illegal miners was already bleak. Customers are few and far between and it is a time when Yura must think about his future. He does not want to spend his life in poverty in decrepit Snizhne. Kaat portrays not the victims of the economic transformation, but their children. It seems their prospects in Ukraine are also bleak. (BŻ)

Festivals:
2011 Full Frame DFF
2011 One World Romania DFF
2011 Hot Docs
2011 Krakow FF

Marianna Kaat - Filmography:
1989 Now Not Only Off-shore
1990 In Your Own Words
2006 The Last Phantoms

Screenings:

11 XII, sunday 20:00 Kino Muranów

13 XII, tuesday 20:00 Kino Muranów