Movie reviews

FESTIWAL POLSKICH FILMOW FABULARNYCH GDYNIA 2023 (GDYNIA FILM FESTIVAL 2023)

Viewer numbers of the festival dropped to 52K at cinemas last year from 72K 3 years earlier but 150K watched online.

This year's festival starts on 18th September. There'll be 25 shorts in competition: from film schools, independent ones, from Studio Munka's 30-minute program. The microbudget competition has no selection - all 4 movies got in. 16 movies will be in the main competition. The jury comprises of representatives each of a different film profession, e.g. a costume designer, a producer, a cinematographer etc. 

Set decor designer Allan Starski's masterclass will be conducted by Paweł Edelman. The masterclass will include, among others, Starski's co-operation with cinematographer Janusz Kamiński - Steven Spielberg's regular collaborator - on "Schindler's List". The designer's exhibition will take place too. He'll present his and others' movies which he sees important in regards to set decor, e.g. "Oliver Twist", "The Pianist", "Hannibal" - large decors where he's present, the process of setting them up. Andrzej Wajda "was always his guru", as Allan Starski says. He recommends "Popiół i diament" ("Ashes and Diamonds") where top cinematography plays well with the decor. 

Lots of space is going to be devoted to other movies from decades ago, jubilees. 

International co-operation section Polonica will present "Delegation", "Disco Boy", "Norwegian Dream".

Krakow Film Festival and Docs Against Gravity co-operate on the documentary section. All 3 films are created by women and are devoted to female artists. 

Gdynia Dzieciom (Gdynia for Children) will focus on adaptations. 

Film school students will prepare nightly chronicles to provide light respite after the heavy main competition movies.

Gdynia Industry will focus on domestic distribution, international sales in Europe, obtaining funding from Eurimages, on how to debut, how to use AI wisely, royalties, as well as consultations with PISF (Polish Film Institute) directors and consultations on copyright.

No print. The festival is going to be green: bidons, bags, electric buses, bike stations, tickets on the phone (from my own experience it means A4-size printing for people without smartphones and the digital carbon footprint may be larger than printing those little pieces of paper), eco-coffee, vegan soup in edible packaging, planting 500 trees. Electrolux will hand in an award for the greenest production.

THE SKELETON'S COMPASS

Recommended. Polish cinemas show it only in Polish dubbing but, if you speak the language,  Bartek Fukiet has translated the movie and Janusz Chabior voices Jedidiah so you're in for a treat. This family adventure movie is extraordinary: time travel, Cheyenne lands and fun: "So who have we buried?" Very pleasant on the whole.

DRII WINTER (A PIECE OF SKY)

Watchable. A slow movie, where prolonged shots match the peace of the rural environment, in a peculiar form: with a choir standing in the mountains and singing from time to time - different than Bollywood being shot there in one scene. The life in the hamlet is primitive, with men pissing anywhere, much like their livestock. The protagonist is no different in that respect, yet he's a man of higher than average sensitivity. The plot's relatively simple and steady. About half-way through comes a major shock. Just for a while. But it alters the direction of the story. The meaning behind it all appears to lie in the marriage vows: "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part". Disconcerting and soothing at the same time.

Reviewed from the distributor's screener, cinematic reception might differ.

BLUE BEETLE

Watchable. I had to watch it dubbed in Polish, the subtitled version disappeared from the cinema early. The Polish dialogues sound natural but the voicing exaggerated. The movie's yet another production where teenage body changes and growing strength from ordinary pains of growing up are transmuted into the superhero genre. The formulaic superhero flick aimed at teenagers with obligatory gadgetry, great CGIs and too many fights is enacted with great gusto owing to the endearing family characters. All-Hispanic electronic music dominates the wonderful soundtrack which gives the movie an 80s feel. It's surrounding even though recorded in ordinary Dolby. What's modern and unique in the superhero genre are the Central American undertones, not only in regards to immigration but also, with the war-like visuals of the corporate choppers approaching the Reyes family house, Nana's skills and the sequence of Carapax's memories reminding you of Central American revolutions, wars and the US involvement - brief but tear-jerking. The mid-credit implies a sequel - I'm looking forward to it, the characters are amiable. The post-credit is a cartoon with the Chapulín.