Rural Poland comes alive as very poor farmers struggle to adopt a new form of government welfare ­ a goat.

In 1989, Poland began the transformation from a socialist economy to a free market economy. The State Agricultural Collectives (PGRs), in which many people of the countryside worked, were dissolved leaving several citizens to live from state benefits. To help these people, one institution came up with quite a different form of social welfare: Instead of giving money to the poorest of the villagers they decided to give them goats. It sounds like an old fable but it just happened.

Taken from the point of view of goats, GOAT WALKER presents a gallery of Polish country dwellers with warmth and humor.52 minutes Barket Konopka & Piotr Rosolowski. Planet Documentary Award 2004

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