Une Minute de Silence

A friendship overshadowed by sweeping industrial change: Just like their fathers and grandfathers before them, Marek, a Polish immigrant, and Mimmo, an Italian, work in the mines of Lorraine in Eastern France. In their free time, they hang around with their buddies at snack carts during the day and hit the bars and brothels at night. When the miners find out their Christmas bonuses are going to be cut, the trade union calls them out on strike. While Marek is out picketing with his fellow miners, Mimmo gets involved with a questionable character trading in girls. Of course, he promises Mimmo better times ahead. This sincere work was the cinematic debut of Florent Emilio Siri, one which won numerous awards and made him the discovery of the San Sebastian Film Festival.