Welcome To Europe - RTÉ One, Wednesday 09 April 11.50pm
Welcome To Europe chronicles the impact of Poland joining the EU on small farm holders on the border with Ukraine. Shot over a period of three and a half years from April 2004, the film explores the hopes, desires, plans and expectations of the new EU members. Some wholeheartedly throw their lot in with the new era, focusing on modernisation and rationalisation with plans to buy new Dutch turbo-cows, while others continue to plough their fields with the assistance of a team of horses and are reluctant to make any change. The film focuses particularly on three farms and the EU consultant appointed to guide their owners through the application process for EU land subsidies.
"The little man is simply going to get tucked into the big man's pocket" worries Zbyszek Iwanczuk who works 12 hectares of land with his mother. They keep two pigs and horses to help work the fields. Many farmers are similarly sceptical which is why EU consultant Wojciech Jaroszynski is busily making his way from farm to farm to personally give farmers the forms they need to apply for EU land subsidies.
Waldemar Wawrzyniak is cautious but mildly optimistic. He runs his parent's farm and lives in the city. He hopes joining the EU will improve his situation.
Kasia and Marcin Wilgos on the other hand are committed, ready to forge full steam ahead. They plan on tearing down their old stall, erecting a new EU-compatible one financed by loans, and buying new Dutch turbo-cows.
All have dreams (of houses, holidays and Ukrainian wives), hopes, desires. Many of these do not come true, in fact, for one, tragedy strikes.
A film by Elke Sasse and Kristian Kähler.
WELCOME TO EUROPE is being broadcast in support of Interculturalism and Anti-Racism Week, (April 7th-14th).
This week is part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID), see ( http://www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu/ ) and is being organised by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), see ( http://www.nccri.ie/index.html ).
