Her prostitute-for-a-mother leaves her, her aunt kicks her out and then takes her place, her boyfriend tricks her out, and Witek pimps her out.
It just seemed odd that one girl could have so much happen to her that quickly in such a short span of time. The movie was almost unrealistic in that reagard. It seems forced by the writer/director.
The characters in this story behave the way they do based on money. The communist style apartment building is inhabited by poor people - more or less everyone in Lilja's world. America is their dream because of stories they've heard and the disparity between the American standard of living and their own. There is no future in Lilja's world.
The characters are primarily interested in improving their standard of living - for Lilja's mother it is moving to America. Her husband/boyfriend doesn't want Lilja to come and her mother knows this. So, to help herself, she moves without her daughter. It's selfish, but it's her only way out.
Lilja, becoming a prostitute before her enslavement, does ostensibly the same thing. It physically disgusts her - as we can see from the vomit scene, but she is willing to do it for survival and a chance at a better lifestyle.
The aunt is clearly not wealthy either. No one has money to throw around for a larger living space to be occupied by one person. I don't know that her aunt "takes her place" necessarily either as much as she is unwilling to pay for Lilja to live there.
Her "boyfriend" was never really a boyfriend. He was someone who does this professionally. The reason why it works? Again, money & standard of living. Lilja and other girls with no future would fall for this trap because it works.
Witek and her "boyfriend" are one singular incident, clearly an arrangement.
This film wouldn't work in a wealthy area, that's why it's not set it one. The characters, from Andrei, the deceitful boyfriend - to Lilja herself, are all out for themselves because that is the environment of the country they live in.
We don't know Witek's situation in-depth, but he also comes from the former Soviet Union (via Poland) - perhaps this too is a commentary on what these people face.
to be fair to lilya prostitution was a last resort. she had nothing and no way to get anything. she would have starved or frozen to death
shareThis film wouldn't work in a wealthy area, that's why it's not set it one.
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