"COMMUNION" WINS IN LOCARNO
On August 13, ended the 69th edition of the International Film Festival in Locarno. It is the third year in a row that a Polish documentary film won in the section La Semaine de la Critique. This time, the award went to "Communion" by Anna Zamecka.
La Semaine de la Critique is an independent section of the Film Festival in Locarno, co-organised with Swiss Film Critics Association since 1990. In the competition, only seven films were shown, including two Polish ones: "Monk of the Sea" by Rafał Skalski and "Communion" by Anna Zamecka. The latter returns from Switzerland as the winner of the Film Critics' Week.
"Communion" had its international première in Locarno. The film's protagonist, 14-year-old Ola, not only takes care of the ineffective father, autistic brother and the mother who lives separately; but most of all, she tries to bring the family together. She lives with the hope that she would be able to bring her mother back home. The pretext to meet her is the Holy Communion of the 13-year-old Nikodem, and Ola assumes full responsibility for preparing an ideal family celebration. Nikodem himself observes the struggles of his loved ones from his own, unusual perspective.
"Communion" reveals beauty in the rejected, strength in the weakest, the need for change where there is no promise of change. This is an accelerated lesson of maturity, which teaches us that no failures are final. Particularly where it comes to love.
"Zamecka managed to sketch a poignant image of the child who has to grow up too quickly and take on the role of her parents. Ola has the characteristics of a leader, she is courageous and unyielding, and in addition, she is also caring and attentive. Her features are highlighted in her relationship with her younger, mentally handicapped brother, whom she prepares for his first Holy Communion, as well as in her relationship with her father - this is how Daniel Stopa writes about the film in his review. The entire text is available in our reading room.
It is worthwhile to remind that last year during the Film Critics' Week in Locarno, the films "Brothers" by Wojciech Staroń and "Call Me Marianna" by Karolina Bielawska were awarded, and two years ago, the film "15 corners of the world" by Zuzanna Solakiewicz won in this section. We hope that the run of luck for Polish documentary film will last as long as possible.
You can read more about the competition on the website of La Semaine de la Critique.