A Russian knife-thrower loses his circus job for setting the animals free when he was drunk. And so 45-year-old Alexander, the “Master”, hits the road in his old van. He saves a young prostitute from rape and later picks up an accordion player. The three put together a show and tour the villages of Poland, interrupted by cynical and bitter Alexander’s drinking bouts, with the aim of eventually reaching Paris where they hope to find a more appreciative audience. While performing in a small town, Alexander meets and falls in love with another woman. When she tells him she is pregnant, Alexander is distraught. He disappears … “The Master” is a road movie in which the characters gradually reveal the dark secrets that have shaped their lives. It portrays a loner who has to learn to let other people get close to him. Piotr Trzaskalski’s quietly paced film of metaphorical imagery tells of broken dreams and the pain of love – but also of the making of art. (goEast-Festival 2006)