Bunker

What price are we willing to pay for a sense of security? The protagonists of the film “Bunker” build their homes underground – far from society, in decommissioned military bunkers, DIY prepper shelters and fallout shelters. Director Jenny Perlin visits these unusual structures to get to know and better understand their inhabitants. Together with her, we journey deep into the United States, where the trend towards individualised security systems brings to mind apocalyptic scenarios.

Can you count? Count on yourself. Perlin takes us to the headquarters of a company that builds shelters for suburban gardens, underground structures straight out of *Fallout*, and a luxury silo. The developer of the latter admits outright: whoever buys a bunker is, in essence, buying peace of mind.

The director films patiently and unhurriedly, giving the floor to her subjects. From their stories, we discern a whole catalogue of myths that shape American identity: self-sufficiency, masculinity and the home as a fortress. In the background, questions arise about our fears in an era of overlapping crises and the tools at our disposal to cope with them. Is going underground really the best solution?

We are presenting this screening in collaboration with Culture.pl.