55th KFF - REVIEWS OF THE FILMS IN POLISH AND DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITIONS
We would like to invite you to read the reviews of three documentary films, which will compete for the laurels in Polish competition at the 55th KFF: "Piano" by Vita Maria Drygas, "Casa Blanca" by Aleksandra Maciuszek and "The Queen of Silence" by Agnieszka Zwiefka, which will also compete in documentary competition. All of these films are available from June 1.
"Piano," dir. Vita Maria Drygas
It is hard to imagine a more current context for a documentary film from Central Europe. The director accompanied the revolution in Ukraine with her camera, however, concentrating not on the violence but rather on the beauty of this insurrection, which is often overlooked. The film's protagonist is a piano, dressed in the uniform in blue and yellow national colours, detuned and devastated. It stands to attention in front of a cordon of police and does not belong to anyone, it a symbol of the fight for autonomy. The instrument also inspired other artists: Markiyan Matsekh and Oleg Matsekh, authors of the performance "Imagine," the documentation of which was a part of the 2014 exhibition "I Am a Drop in the Ocean: Art of the Ukrainian Revolution" in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) in Krakow. Then, the artist was playing the piano opposite police helmets and truncheons. Then, the artist was playing the piano opposite police helmets and truncheons. Bohdan, the famous "piano extremist," told in the television recording in CNN that he wanted to show the cultural side of the revolution. Piano" by Vita Maria Drygas tells exactly this story. fter the tragedy, which Bohdan's family had to face, he went to search for the meaning in the fight. His utterances are long and sincere, but sensible and reasonable. What the film's author reveals to the viewers is an image of a sensitive man, who was clad by the History in a soldier's uniform and balaclava. Viktor Yanukovych called his opponents "extremists." Bohdan's "extremism" means sacrificing oneself in a situation in which he has nothing left to lose. The image of a well-built pianist in a balaclava, smoking a cigarette the ash from which falls on the keyboard of the eponymous piano is a meaningful allegory of the Euromaidan.
Michał Kucharczyk
The full text of the review is here.
Mikro, 1.06, 18.00
Kijów.Centrum, 5.06, 15.00
"The Queen of Silence,"dir. Agnieszka Zwiefka
In a sense, "The Queen of Silence" shows the power of cinema, too. Thanks to camera and film tools, Denisa can make her dreams come true and communicate with the world. The human element is important in all this. It is thanks to the selfless help of the doctor that Denisa starts to hear, to get to know the world and to experience it in a totally new, fuller way. Also thanks to the director, who decided to be closer to the protagonist rather than to "great" matters, the internal world of the girl can speak to us, and we can see it.
Daniel Stopa
The full review of the film is available on out website.
Kijów.Centrum, 1.06, 20.30
MOS1, 3.06, 11.00
"Casa Blanca," dir. Aleksandra Maciuszek
The world of a handicapped person, presented by Maciuszek, is a difficult reality, full of emotions and experiences. It is inhabited by two protagonists - Vladimir and Nelsa - hurt by fate, one mentally, the other - physically. However, this does not mean that they are in some sense worse or poorer than others. The director shows us that, just like healthy people, they love, are sad, are afraid, scared of losing the loved ones. Often it turns out that the life of Vladimir and Nelsa seems internally richer, simpler and more sincere. Any signs of disapproval, distance and aggression in the film are associated rather with the world of healthy people.
Maciuszek looks carefully and patiently at this world; one moment she is close to the protagonists, assuming their perspective, another time she tries to look a bit from the side, as if she was looking for the mirror of the interior lives of Vladimir and Nelsa in the transient landscapes All this encourages us to immense ourselves in this world, because only insightful observation and acquaintance guarantees understanding of another, "different" human being.
Daniel Stopa
We would like to invite you to read the entire text of the review.
Mikro, 1.06, 12.00
Kijów.Centrum, 4.06, 20.30