This film captures a unique and exciting story that may have otherwise been lost and forgotten!
Godspeed, Los Polacos tracks the story of 5 Polish adventurers who during the Soviet Union used white-water kayakers to escape their otherwise drab existence in Communist Poland.
The archival footage, presentation, and music were on point and new to me. And very engaging.
The stories of these individuals and their struggle to escape Poland and explore the raging rivers of the West were countless and incredible. All the twists and turns were coupled with historic events ranging from the Solidarity Movement, John Paul II, and the Peruvian Civil War.
I learned a ton, while really enjoying the film, and experiencing thrills as this unlikely group challenged the world's most challenging rivers, risking their lives in the process.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a film off the beaten path.
Godspeed, Los Polacos!
2020
Action / Adventure / Documentary / History / Sport
Godspeed, Los Polacos!
2020
Action / Adventure / Documentary / History / Sport
8.7Plot summary
During the Cold War, Poland's youth looked for any way to break away from the monotony of life under Communist rule. In the City of Krakow, a group of university students formed a kayaking club as a tool to explore their local rivers and avoid participation in Communist parades and rallies. After experiencing the thrill of Poland's one and only class III rapid, club members Andrzej Pietowski, Piotr Chmielinski (who would go on to be the first person to paddle the Amazon river source to sea),and Jurek Majcherczyk set their sights on the impossible - leaving the Eastern Bloc to paddle whitewater. Godspeed, Los Polacos. tells the story of five university students on the edge of adulthood who skillfully pull the strings of the Soviet system, and find themselves on a kayaking expedition in the Americas with a six-wheeled military truck, homemade equipment, and little to no whitewater skills. The story follows their epic two-year journey that culminates in the record-breaking first descent of the world's deepest canyon, and finds the kayakers in Soviet cross-hairs after they leverage their new found fame to fight for democracy in the Eastern Bloc.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Engrossing film blending adventure, culture, and history - would watch again
A documentary from the 90s?
Unfortunately, those polish freedom fighters ran away from the grasp of communist dictatorship to fall on the lap of figures like Pope John Paul II, Lech Walesa and Mario Vargas Llosa. If we were still in 1990, that would be justifiable. But in 2020, 30 years later (!),the movie producers and protagonists only show they still do not understand how our world works. It would be interesting to ask the polish folks to whom did they vote in the recent presidential election. My bet is Trump! Witch is sad, really sad. (A lateral question: What is Edward Norton doing narrating this upside-down fairy tale?)
Beautifully crafted doc.
An absolutely beautifully crafted doc - fascinating story, unique perspective. Love it.