Poland has seen a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-gay, anti-refugee and anti-Muslim sentiment, coinciding with the assumption of power by the conservative Law and Justice party.
So the group Otwarta Rzeczpospolita ("Open Republic"), which campaigns against anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and Chlebem I Sola ("Bread and Salt"), which advocates for refugees, teamed up on a video with the Putka bakery chain prompting Poles to rethink their prejudices.
"I dream about having my own family," says Kamil, "about adopting children with my husband," as he puts on his baker's uniform with his wedding band visible.
Andrezj tells us that he "discovered he was Jewish at the age of 9. I remember than I cried then, because I knew from the backyard that this was the worst thing." His words are followed by an image of anti-Semitic graffiti.
A thankful Rosa explains that "Congo is a country where every minute some woman is harmed. In Poland I am protected."
Salam, the doctor, shares that "multiple times I've managed to save a human life," before we see protestors carrying "Stop Islam" banners.
Radwan, the Syrian refugee, notes that his daughter is Polish, and says in English that "I want to tell my daughter that life is beautiful, that it is full of color."
Then the bakery's customers are invited to the kitchen to meet who has baked their daily bread.
Most show some level of awkwardness, but treat the bakers respectfully. Salam asks, "Does this bread taste the same as it would taste if a Pole had baked it?" Three people says yes, with one offering, "a human is a human, always."
Kamil's question about a gay man baking bread is greeted with a harsher responses, "God has created Adam and Eve so they should love each other, not one guy with another" and "Such people shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven. You don't want to enter God's kingdom?" (Kamil cheerily retorts, "I actually believe in something completely different.")
A Ukrainian from war-torn Donbas man bonds with the Syrian Radwan, an elderly woman seeks common ground with Salam, saying "The history of Poland is also a history of exile. For years the Poles have been roaming, leaving 'for bread.'" As she leaves, she urges him, "Please feel good in here. Poles are not mean people."
The scene ends with the customers warmly saying goodbye to the bakers, and one baker observing that while "recently, the situation in Poland has changed radically [but] if I were to live again I think I would still choose Poland."
The video has already received more than 1 million views on Facebook, giving hope that love will triumph over hate in Poland.
So the group Otwarta Rzeczpospolita ("Open Republic"), which campaigns against anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and Chlebem I Sola ("Bread and Salt"), which advocates for refugees, teamed up on a video with the Putka bakery chain prompting Poles to rethink their prejudices.
Poles Meet Their Gay, Jewish, Muslim and Immigrant Bakers
The video "Our Daily Bread" introduces us to five bakers, a gay man, a Jew, a refugee from the Congo, a refugee from Syria and Muslim doctor. They introduce themselves as they work the dough, interspersed with footage from angry, bigoted riots and rallies."I dream about having my own family," says Kamil, "about adopting children with my husband," as he puts on his baker's uniform with his wedding band visible.
Andrezj tells us that he "discovered he was Jewish at the age of 9. I remember than I cried then, because I knew from the backyard that this was the worst thing." His words are followed by an image of anti-Semitic graffiti.
A thankful Rosa explains that "Congo is a country where every minute some woman is harmed. In Poland I am protected."
Salam, the doctor, shares that "multiple times I've managed to save a human life," before we see protestors carrying "Stop Islam" banners.
Radwan, the Syrian refugee, notes that his daughter is Polish, and says in English that "I want to tell my daughter that life is beautiful, that it is full of color."
Then the bakery's customers are invited to the kitchen to meet who has baked their daily bread.
Most show some level of awkwardness, but treat the bakers respectfully. Salam asks, "Does this bread taste the same as it would taste if a Pole had baked it?" Three people says yes, with one offering, "a human is a human, always."
Kamil's question about a gay man baking bread is greeted with a harsher responses, "God has created Adam and Eve so they should love each other, not one guy with another" and "Such people shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven. You don't want to enter God's kingdom?" (Kamil cheerily retorts, "I actually believe in something completely different.")
Finding Common Ground At The Bakery
Kamil gets a more satisfying response from a young woman who says a gay man baking her bread is "as irrelevant as the fact that this bread is now being eaten by a lesbian."A Ukrainian from war-torn Donbas man bonds with the Syrian Radwan, an elderly woman seeks common ground with Salam, saying "The history of Poland is also a history of exile. For years the Poles have been roaming, leaving 'for bread.'" As she leaves, she urges him, "Please feel good in here. Poles are not mean people."
The scene ends with the customers warmly saying goodbye to the bakers, and one baker observing that while "recently, the situation in Poland has changed radically [but] if I were to live again I think I would still choose Poland."
The video has already received more than 1 million views on Facebook, giving hope that love will triumph over hate in Poland.