Still from Wojciech Smarzowski's "Traffic Department", photo: Next Film
A "frenzy of sleaze and corruption", Wojciech Smarzowski's Traffic Department exposes corruption, drug and alcohol abuse in a capital's police department
Set on the streets of contemporary Warsaw, seven policemen from the eponymous Traffic Department are colleagues and good friends who work hard and party hard. The plot thickens when one dies in mysterious circumstances and his colleague, Sgt. Ryszard Król, is accused of being involved in the death. Attempting to clear his record, Król discovers the truth about links between government and criminals.
A thrilling story and a social critique about a "nihilistic world where human venality and immorality are the order of the day", as Variety's Alissa Simon writes, with, as Edinburgh festival organisers add, "Lightning-fast editing [that] crams enough plot developments to fill a mini-series into a 117-minute frenzy of sleaze and corruption".
Traffic Department screens twice at the festival: the 28th of June at 6:05 pm and the 30th of June at 3 pm at Cineworld 8.
Established in 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for its role in discovering and promoting international cinema. The 2013 edition of the festival takes place between the 19th and 30th of June.
For more information see: Edinburgh Film Festival
Editor: MJ 21.06.2013
Sources: Edinburgh Film Festival, Polish Institute UK