POLISH DOCUMENTARIES WIN IN CANADA
Two Polish films have been awarded at DOXA Film Festival that ended on May 12th. “18 kg” by Kacper Czyubak has won Short Documentary Award and “Feestyle life” by Adam Palenta has received Honourable Mention of the Youth Jury.
This year’s edition of DOXA Documentary Film Festival held in Vancouver from May 3rd until May 12th has been very lucky for Polish documentary filmmakers – two Polish films have been awarded. “18 kg” directed by Kacper Czubak and produced by Polish broadcaster telewizja Religia has been unanimously chosen the winner of the Short Documentary Award while „Freestyle life” by Adam Palenta has appealed to the Youth Jury that has awarded the film with the Honourable Mention. It’s worth mentioning that in case of “18 kg” it’s the first international award.
The action of „18 kg” takes place in Kasisi, an orphanage 40 km away from Zambia’s capital that takes in starving and ill children, often on the verge of death, whom nobody wants. For many of them, the orphanage run by Polish missionaries is a last resort. Great sacrifice of nuns, however, may both bring joy and cause suffering. One of the children is Francis, a young boy with HIV. Can the nuns persuade him to put up an unequal fight against the disease?
“Freestyle life” is a story of the art of putting up the fight, when the game involves the most competitive rivals – ourselves. Resistance to the determinism leads towards stubborn challenging oneselves to consecutive duels. The surface of the screen that precisely keeps the viewer from reality resembles the surface of water that separates swimmers from their disability.
More information about DOXA Film festival can be found at its website.