POLISH DOCUMENTARIES IN COMPETITION AT DOCLISBOA

Doclisboa Festival has just announced the list of films selected to the international competition. Two Polish documentaries are on the list: "Guest" by Sebastian Weber and "Komodo Dragons" by Michał Borczuch.

This year 22 films were invited to the international competition of Doclisboa Festival; 10 of them will have at the festival their world premiers and 12 their international premiers. The productions in the competition come from 21different countries, including two from Poland: "Guest" by Sebastian Weber and "Komodo Dragons" by Michał Borczuch.

"Guest" depicts the life of a Polish farmer, Wojtek, and his immediate environment, shown through the eyes of a young Swiss filmmaker, Sebastian. Despite the harsh working conditions, which he has known since childhood, Wojtek has never lost his joy of life, warm-heartedness and humour. Living all alone in a big house, he likes to welcome guests in search of company and friends in need. It is here that Paweł, a young alcoholic with nowhere to go, finds shelter. Wojtek does his best to look after him. Is he up to the challenge?

“Komodo Dragons” is based on director's fantasies about two films. The first is a documentary focused on the observation of a group of autistic adults living at the Life Farm (therapy centre near Krakow), and the second is an impossible to tell story about young parents, Agata and Franek, who want to sacrifice their own son. We get to know the characters through their everyday life, work they do and the way they behave, whereas at the same time the story of Agata and Franek takes us to the lawyer's office where we're faced with a question: what does sacrifice mean in a secular world? The film follows the clash between an intimate portrait of a group of disabled people and uncomfortable human fantasy; it intentionally does not look for a way out of the created paradoxes.

More information about the festival can be found on the festival website.