20TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL
A VR exhibition took place at Teatr Dramatyczny. David France gave a masterclass. Short films at the festival were the ones which didn't exceed 45 minutes. As for Polish films this year, 11 were presented:
1. "Apolonia, Apolonia" - the film won IDFA, the protagonist believes: "the only way out is to be very good", she speaks Polish, Dutch, French, she's "a collage of identities" as producer Gosia Staroń says.
2. "Dziewczyńskie historie" ("Girls' Stories") - little girls on their upcoming first menstruation, editor Aga Bożym's directorial debut pitched at the festival 3 years ago.
3. "Fantastyczny Matt Parey" ("Fantastic Matt Parey") - produced by Maciej Ostatek, on Maciej Parowski, from Tarchomin, who discovered Sapkowski and introduced Bagiński and Dukaj to each other. 25 thousand people had seen director Bartosz Paduch's previous "Skandal. Ewenement Molesty" ("Scandal") in cinemas in spite of the pandemic. Now Netflix is making a film about Sapkowski.
4. "Leon" - on an extravagant artist who e.g. gave a dance of the senses at someone's wedding party, playing with his dick on plates. Having invited him, a festival organizer commented: "I hope he'll ruin our festival".
5. "Nie znikniemy" ("We Will Not Fade Away") - on the war in Ukraine, edited by Aga Bożym.
6. "Pianoforte" - premiered at Sundance, was centred round protagonists i.e. a few Chopin Competition participants, they were festival guests too.
7. "Prawy chłopak" ("Polish Prayers") - premiered at IDFA after a few years making the film. The director is from Białystok. She's discovered many things are not black and white. She's been shooting a film on the other side for 3 years.
8. "Skąd dokąd" ("In the Rearview") - on people affected by the Russian aggression. It premiered at this festival and at Cannes. The Polish title meaning: "Where from? Where to?" refers to the routine questions refugees hear: "Звідки? Kуди?"
9. "Solaris Mon Amour".
10. "Vika!" - on DJ Vika. "Life is a certain game." You can't always show how you feel." "Life must be pleasure, joy." "I can show the young you can enjoy being old". She wants the elderly to be "better educated, more open", live for themselves, not for others. She finds "independence, security" important in old age. "Kto się boi, ten nic nie zrobi" ("Who's afraid, won't do anything"). They obtained foreign funds for music rights. All the producers were motivated by their fear of old age.
11. "W Ukrainie" ("In Ukraine") - showing e.g. children swinging on a colourful swing in front of a block with burnt out windows. The director travelled to Ukraine, to the places where he felt safe, taking a few trips over a year. 2-3 weeks after the start of the war he took humanitarian aid there and people back. Later he took trips to document, once on a front line.
PRAWY CHLOPAK (POLISH PRAYERS)
Watchable. A story of a Polish rightist activist who over years turns left. He wasn't the most aggressive in the past either so the transformation doesn't shock. It's comforting it's young women and their feminist activism that have had such an impact on him.
LYNX
Recommended. First, before the opening credits, a lynx is let free. The main story continues after the credits. You get to hear the sounds the lynx makes. Lynxes playing and hunting like cats, foxes playing like dogs, ermines, martens, roe deer, wildboars, owls, sandpipers, a rowan, a capercaillie, peregrine falcons, springing chamoises are cute but most importantly show parental love among animals. This beautiful documentary doesn't shy away from showing the lynxes' blood-covered snouts at meal times, killed ones: shot or run over by a car, moved away to reintroduce the species. They're so beautiful, so cuddly: the lynx, the fox, the roe deer - you wish you'd be one of them. They're also disarmingly tender parents. Awe-inspiring vistas complete the picture. It's all so beautiful, you just want to see it all over again.
14. PRZEGLAD NOWEGO KINA FRANCUSKIEGO (14TH SCREENING OF NEW FRENCH CINEMA)
LES PROMESSES (PROMISES)
Recommended. A social drama turns into a political thriller. First the mayor is forced to make several deals to do the right thing, then things complicate. Gripping. And makes you sympathetic to politicians - it's a hard job for incredibly tough people.
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