The Collector

Lucek Bohme is the most ruthless debt collector around. A swaggering Polish yuppie, he terrorizes the aging, debt-ridden industrial town of Walbrzych by cruising its mean streets in his black SUV, repossessing some of the citizenry's most cherished items without a hint of remorse. Lucek doesn't even think twice about grabbing a ventilator away from a patient at the town's lone, bankrupt hospital. With the law always on his side, he follows the agency's guidelines to a fault, brandishing his collection warrants like badges of honor. Lucek's most infuriating trait, though, is that he's incorruptible. He adopts the same moralistic high tone whether he's dealing with crooked judges, industry bosses, or common drunks. Soon, though, a former love reappears, and one of his young clients commits an unspeakable act. These events set Lucek on the road to realizing that he's hidden his humanity behind the letter of the law for too long. It remains to be seen whether his attempts at redemption come too late. (In Polish with English subtitles) –-B.B.