THE QUEEN OF SILENCE

POLISH TITLE: KRÓLOWA CISZY

The film tells the story of a 10 years old deaf gypsy girl, living at an illegal settlement in Poland. As the whole community faces the threat of eviction, brutal attacks from the neighbours and extreme poverty – Denisa tries to find her own way to deal with the hardships of everydaylife.One day, going through the local dumspters in search of clothes and wood, Denisa fidns a box of Bollywood films. Ever since fascinated by the glamour world she sees on a small TV (whenever her parents can afford fuel as there is no electricity at the settling) Denisa is making her own Bollywood clothes and rehearsing dance choreographies untill she reaches perfection. Day by day she brings other kids from the settling into her magic world. Our film has two layers -strictly observational documentary and musical shot in Bollywood style. The musical sequences are the opposite of what we see in the real world (however they have their beginnings in the documentary ones). In the musical Denisa can become anyone she wants – even a Queen that has power over people that treat the gypsy children really badly. After finding an old plastic crown Denisa moves into the magic world of dance and imagination.

 

GENRE:
documentary / fiction
COUNTRY:
Poland, Germany
RUNNING TIME:
80'
YEAR:
COLOUR:
colour
DIRECTING:
Agnieszka Zwiefka
SCRIPT:
Agnieszka Zwiefka
DOP:
Aleksander Duraj, Armand Urbaniak
EDITOR:
Hansjörg Weißbrich , Thomas Ernst
MUSIC:
Cocorosie, Dani Pintul Banatului, Jessica de Rooij
PRODUCTION:
HBO Poland, Chilli Productions, Ma.ja.de., Odra Film, ARTE/ZDF

Agnieszka Zwiefka »

Agnieszka Zwiefka is an award-winning filmmaker. Her films „The Queen of Silence“ (2014) and „Scars” (2020) were screened at festivals worldwide. In her films she balances between reality and fantasy, creating hybrids that cross the border between documentary and fiction. Member of European Film Academy (EFA). Alumna of workshops Dok.Incubator, ScripTeast, Nipkow Programme and Berlinale Talents as well as Meryl Streep’s and Nicole Kidman’s The Writers Lab.

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