The Bridge

Bridges connect people, unless it is forbidden to cross them. And that is exactly what is happening with the recently rebuilt bridge across the Tisza River, which is supposed to bring together relatives, friends and former neighbors who got divided throughout history by various political conflicts. The old bridge between Sighet, a Romanian town, and Slatina, a Ukrainian town, was destroyed by the German troops during World War II. After the war, the northern bank of the Tisza River became part of the Soviet Union, while the southern bank continued to be Rumanian, and the border was closed. The Tisza River separated the two towns for almost 50 years. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Slatina became a Ukrainian town and the border was reopened. The old bridge has now been rebuilt in three years with the help of the European Union. But what for? Nobody is allowed to cross it yet, so friends and family can only communicate by shouting from one bank to the other.This is exactly how this investigative documentary starts, confronting us from the get-go with the absurdity of politcal reasoning.