THREE POLISH FILMS IN LOCARNO
This is going to be a unique festival for Polish filmmakers. Three Polish documentaries will be presented during the Critics' Week. Wajda Studio's latest production “Bucolic” (dir. Karol Pałka) will have its world premiere, accompanied by Tomasz Wysokiński's award-winning “Walk with Angels” and Paweł Łoziński's “The Balcony Movie”.
The Locarno Film Festival is one of the oldest film events in the world, next to Cannes, Venice, and Karlovy Vary. Every year, the festival is attended by stars, industry representatives, and journalists from around the world. It's one of the most important events on the festival map of the world. This year's edition will be held from 4 to 14 August.
La Semaine de la Critique (Critics' Week) is an independent section of the festival held since 1990 and co-organised with the Swiss Association of Film Journalists. Only seven films will be shown in the competition, including three Polish ones: “Bucolic” directed by Karol Pałka, Tomasz Wysokiński's “Walk with Angels” – awarded in Krakow –, and “The Balcony Movie” by Paweł Łoziński.
“Bucolic” is Karol Pałka's full-length documentary debut developed during the Dok Pro course and produced by Wajda Studio. The protagonists of the film are Danusia and her daughter Basia. They live somewhere on the edge of the world, keeping to the rhythm and laws of nature, among the animals and spirits of the dead. Their refuge gives them peace and a feeling of security, but also makes them long for other people. It's an intimate parable about people who live differently, a gentle observation that gives rise to curiosity, and an attempt to come closer.
“Walk with Angels” by Tomasz Wysokiński takes place in South Africa, where children are disappearing all too often. There is often organised business, a local conspiracy of silence, and chilling stories behind it. Jerry, who has been fighting his inner demons since childhood, attempts to find a girl from Soweto who was kidnapped several years ago. On his path through slums and murky streets, the protagonist stumbles upon traces of apartheid, local religious cults, and personal memories. Magnified by Paweł Mykietyn's hypnotic music, his private investigation – and an inner journey – will lead us to the very heart of darkness. The film is produced by Manana.
In turn, Paweł Łoziński's “The Balcony Movie” is a record of the director's observations from his first-floor apartment carried out over multiple years. The creator decided to stop and wait for the world to come to him. He stood on the balcony with his camera for two years and tried to record anyone walking under it. These meetings have been turned into a film about people and what they wanted to say about themselves. And about a curious director. I was amazed at how little I know about people. Almost nobody is what they seem. Every person carries their own riddles and secrets. They can't be easily labelled. Life can't be imagined.
You can find more information on the festival's official website.