“APOLONIA, APOLONIA” NOMINATED FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARD
We've just learned the films nominated to the European Film Awards. Polish co-production by Lea Glob will be competing for the title of best documentary. The winner will be announced on 9 December.
The European Film Awards were established in 1988 and are considered the most prestigious awards honouring European films. Considered the equivalent of the American Oscar, it is awarded by the members of the European Film Academy. The current head of the academy is Agnieszka Holland, who replaced Wim Wenders in this position. The first winner of the award was Krzysztof Kieślowski for A Short Film About Killing. Several Polish films had received these nominations – and often won.
The Polish co-production Apolonia, Apolonia is among the five nominated films. When director Lea Glob first approached Apolonia Sokol in 2009, she seemed to be leading a fairy tale life. The talented Apolonia was born into an underground theatre group in Paris and grew up among its bohemian community. At the age of 20 she was studying at Beaux-Arts de Paris – one of the most prestigious art academies in Europe. Over the years, the film's director kept returning to film the charismatic Apolonia – and a special bond was formed between the two young women. The result is a fascinating portrait that covers 13 years from the life of a young woman trying to find her place in the art world. Apolonia is confident in her talent, but her path is not always easy. Life is not a fairy tale; one of the lessons Apolonia learns is that women painters have to make sacrifices and overcome more obstacles than their male colleagues. This also applies to her friend and long-time roommate, Oksana Shachko, one of the founders of the feminist action group Femen. Apolonia's resilience is put to the test.
The list of all nominated films can be found on the awards' website.