Letters from Wolf Street

From his apartment on Wilcza Street in Warsaw, Arjun Talwar captures Poland’s ever-changing contemporary society. He’s been living in Poland for just over ten years now, and he’s documenting the city's street life to help him to assimilate. Local people provide Talwar with new perspectives on his complex and contradictory adopted homeland: he learns about the local history from a neighborhood postman, visits a Syrian neighbor who is virtually recreating his hometown of Damascus, and leaves the city to attend a Roma wedding.

What begins as a personal journey to find a sense of home transforms into a poignant and humorous portrait of modern Poland—as seen through the eyes of an immigrant. His street in the heart of Warsaw serves as a microcosm of the nation, populated by chatty barbers, anarchist shoemakers, and rebellious squatters.

Talwar’s light-hearted approach offers space for conversation. In this country plagued by fear, neighbors cautiously find the courage to reflect on their own prejudices, and to open the door to dialogue and understanding.