Wino truskawkowe (2008)

Thirty-year-old Andrzej, a police officer from Warsaw, arrives in the fictional town of Żłobiska, near the Polish-Slovak border. He hopes to start a new life here and forget his old one, which ended with the loss of his wife and daughter. For years, the local police station has had only one lawman, who nostalgically recalls, like most of the residents, the days of the Polish People’s Republic and the ubiquitous state-owned farms. Whether he likes it or not, Andrzej finds himself a fifth wheel, since crime in Żłobiska is almost nonexistent, apart from drunken brawls in the pub and illegal logging for firewood. The new policeman’s main task therefore becomes patrolling the area on a rickety, work-issued bicycle. As time goes by, Andrzej gets to know the locals better, as well as their favorite pastime: drinking the local tipple, strawberry wine, in groups or alone. He also catches the eye of the local beauty, Lubica, a Slovak who loves dancing and flirts with half the town, living as if in her own world, one that does not always respect local customs. The girl also seems to like the newcomer, as she and Andrzej become intimate at their first opportunity. The relationship does not, however, become lasting, since not long afterward Lubica marries Edek, a coarse, self-made man who owns several local businesses. But Andrzej has no time to dwell on his romantic disappointment, because a murder is committed in the town.