FOUR POLISH FILMS AT THE HOT DOCS FESTIVAL!
We already know the programme of this year's edition of the Canadian Hot Docs festival. In various sections, four Polish documentary films will be screened: "Domino effect" by Piotr Rosłowski and Elwira Niewiera, "Fire-followers" by Karolina Breguła, "The Supreme" by Katarzyna Gondek and "Walking under water" by Eliza Kubarska.
This year's edition of the Hot Docs festival takes part from 24 April to 4 May. This week, the organisers of the festival announced the list of films qualified for participation in Hot Docs. There are four Polish films on this list: "Walking under water” by Eliza Kubarska, "Domino effect" by Piotr Rosłowski and Elwira Niewiera, "Fire-followers" by Karolina Breguła and "The Supreme" by Katarzyna Gondek.The film by Eliza Kubarska "Walking under water" will be screend in the section "International Spectrum" and it will be its world première. The documentary portraits the Badjao community which inhabits Borneo and whose life is inextricably linked with water. In this community, children learn how to swim faster than how to walk, and adults are masters of free diving and can hold their breath under water for many minutes. The Badjao hunt and live on the sea, and spend most of their lives in the water. Unfortunately, their culture is threatened with extinction.
Another film that will have its world première in Toronto is "Domino Effect" made by Piotr Rosołowski and Elwira Niewiera. It will take part in the "Love, Factually” section. "Domino Effect" is a story about true love in a non-existent country. Rafael - the Minister of Sport and Education and Natasha - a Russian opera singer try to live together in Abkhazi, destroyed by war. Observing their difficult relationship, we watch life in a place marked by war and nationalism. The film depicts trapped people, who dream about peace, normality and happiness.
In the section "Shorts" the documentary film by Katarzyna Gondek, "The Supreme," will be shown. The film tells the story how the largest monument of John Paul II in the world, made of glass fiber, was constructed. Fourteen-metre John Paul II was made in Nowa Sól factory of dinosaurs and garden gnomes. The monument, still in pieces, went on a pilgrimage through half of Poland, and then it was installed in Częstochowa in the Miniatures Park, opposite Jasna Góra. Why was it made? For whom? What is the story behind this gigantic venture? "The Supreme" is surrealist story about making a giant to the best of our abilities. About the meeting of religious dreams and nightmares under one huge form.
The film "Fire-followers" by Karolina Breguła, playing with the documentary conventions, went to the programme of the section "Mystery, Myth & Legend." "Fire-followers" is a story about a small, picturesque town somewhere far away, in the North. Due to large number of wooden building, for centuries the town burned on a regular basis. Modern methods helped to protect the town from fires, and thanks to these methods the inhabitants can finally live free from the fear that another catastrophe may happen any moment. In spite of this, they are still afraid. A group of respected art historians is on everybody's lips. The historians believe that the regular destructive fires, devouring the collections of museum storerooms became the second nature of the local art and determine its development to this day.
These are not the only Polish features at this year's Hot Docs. "Bruise Ballet," made by Katarzyna Gondek, Jarosław Piekarski and Katarzyna Szczerba, produced within the frames of International Documentary Challenge, qualified for the final top twelve of this unique competition and thanks to this will be screened at Hot Docs. "Bruise Ballet" tells the story of a petite lady, who is the trainer of MMA masters.
Canadian festival Hot Docs is one of the most important documentary film festivals in the world and the largest one in North America. Its first edition was held in 1993 in Toronto and since then the festival has been constantly growing, introducing new elements to the programme and gaining international recognition. Every year, almost 200 of the most important documentary films of a given year are shown at Hot Docs, while the Hot Docs Forum and film market attract over 200 documentary film professionals every year.
It is worth mentioning that last year Poland was the special guest of Hot Docs. In the section "Made in Poland," a selection of ten latest Polish documentary films was shown, and a delegation of Polish film producers took part in the Hot Docs Forum, dedicated to the documentary industry.
More information can be found at the Hot Docs website.