In East of Paradise, film-maker Lech Kowalski presents two distinct meditations on human pain and renewal. In the first half, Kowalski’s elderly mother Maria speaks about the horrors she lived through in World War II when, as a young Polish woman, she was transported to a gulag in far eastern Russia. Maria details the appalling treatment she and members of her family received, including torture, starvation and isolation. It is a testament to Maria’s strength that she tells her story with clarity and a largely unflinching eye, even finding humour in the most tragic of circumstances.

The film then jarringly shifts to New York City’s East Village in the late ’70s. Using experimental footage that he shot during this time, Lech takes the viewer on a journey through the grimy world he inhabited, one filled with drug use, prostitution and porn. It is here that East of Paradise becomes genuinely provocative, as Lech’s narration reveals that he immersed himself in this degrading scene in order to experience something approaching his mother’s pain. The film juxtaposes Maria’s true pain with her son’s manufactured variety.

Whereas Maria’s story epitomises how strong humans can be, the hope in Lech’s world is hard to find. Whether filming concert-goers at a Sex Pistols concert, or his ‘muse’, wannabe actor and musician Johnny Thunders dying of AIDS, it’s hard not to view Lech and his pals as utterly lost.

Credit must go to the younger Kowalski for presenting himself in this unflattering light; although, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he hid somewhat behind his oddball characters, largely sharing his experiences through voice-over. Why didn’t he tell his story in front of the camera the way his mother did?

East of Paradise makes for interesting, yet gruelling viewing. It’s a long and seedy journey, but Kowalski finally makes his point.