I Was a Boy in New York (1989)

A film consisting of two shots recorded by a camera mounted on a lorry driving through Brooklyn, New York. At the beginning, in the foreground, we see a woman with a camera leaning against the roof of the vehicle, behind her the urban landscape of a run-down neighbourhood flashes by. The camera is mobile, gradually moving from the woman towards the direction of travel, showing an intersection of narrow streets and a cherry-coloured car, which it then follows. We hear the sounds of the surroundings and the creaking of the lorry. The title card appears, followed by the first notes of a song sung off-screen. The song hummed by the author is the pre-war tango ‘Pamiętasz Capri’ from Mieczysław Fogg's repertoire. It is the soundtrack for the second shot showing the viaduct with the expressway. The camera is positioned with its back to the direction of travel, and we see cars driving behind the lorry and heavy traffic on the street, reminiscent of classic shots from American films.

Director: Józef Robakowski
Runtime: 5 min
Release Date:
Country: Poland
Original Language: pl
More Films by Director: Józef Robakowski

Frequently Asked Questions

What is I Was a Boy in New York about?
A film consisting of two shots recorded by a camera mounted on a lorry driving through Brooklyn, New York. At the beginning, in the foreground, we see a woman with a camera leaning against the roof of the vehicle, behind her the urban landscape of a run-down neighbourhood flashes by. The camera is mobile, gradually moving from the woman towards the direction of travel, showing an intersection of narrow streets and a cherry-coloured car, which it then follows. We hear the sounds of the surroundings and the creaking of the lorry. The title card appears, followed by the first notes of a song sung off-screen. The song hummed by the author is the pre-war tango ‘Pamiętasz Capri’ from Mieczysław Fogg's repertoire. It is the soundtrack for the second shot showing the viaduct with the expressway. The camera is positioned with its back to the direction of travel, and we see cars driving behind the lorry and heavy traffic on the street, reminiscent of classic shots from American films.
Who directed I Was a Boy in New York?
I Was a Boy in New York was directed by Józef Robakowski.
How long is I Was a Boy in New York?
I Was a Boy in New York has a runtime of 5m (5 minutes).
Where was I Was a Boy in New York produced?
I Was a Boy in New York was produced in Poland.