54th KFF - REVIEWS OF FILMS IN THE POLISH COMPETITION

We would like to invite you to read the reviews of five documentary films, which will compete for the laurels in the Polish competition at the 54th Krakow Film Festival: "W. Sisters' Beauty Salon" by Jakub Stożek, "Strongwoman" by Kacper Czubak and Iwona Kaliszewska, "It's Only A Dream" by Jakub Michnikowski, "Knife In The Wife" by Vita Drygas and "From Grundwald Village" by Artur Wierzbicki.

"W. Sisters' Beauty Salon", by Jakub Stożek

Sisters Jolanta and Joanna run one of a kind beauty salon in Szczecin. They dedicated it to people suffering from cancer, a disease which they had to struggle themselves few years before. Thanks to these common, dramatic experiences the women, whom we see in the salon, can build a strong bond and thread of understanding. Here, they are not exposed to stealthy glances, whispers behind their backs or uncomfortable questions. In the beauty salon Aura, they can feel at ease and finally talk openly about everything.

Cancer changes entire life, not only of the patient himself, but also of his surroundings. However, no one can understand the pain, fear and loneliness accompanying this disease as well as other person who also struggles with it. The film by Jakub Stożek definitively proves it. During the cosmetic treatments, the women are not ashamed of talking about their disease, sharing experiences, sometimes extremely moving or even rather intimate ones. It is hard not to be moved, when the camera observes a young woman shaving her hair bald. Her eyes are closed, lips pursed, and after all is done, she looks at her reflection as if she did not see herself there. Another woman tells about a difficult moment during her first chemotherapy. We hear about despair, sense of injustice, anger at God and unbearable suffering. However, the director tries to be moderate in providing the viewers with such emotions. He avoids excessive drama and pathos, giving a very human dimension to this subject. He also shows that the life of these women consists also of other things. There is a place for joy, for the desire to look beautiful, or to be close with someone. There are conversations which, according to the stereotype, are a common element of such places. The women talk about their relationships with men, about their disappointments or search. Probably, the visit in the salon is often only an excuse to meet and to talk to one's heart's content, however, there is no denying that caring about their own appearance and body still provides these ladies with a great pleasure. Although we are dealing here with women struggling with extremely severe and exhausting disease, the director very consistently builds the image of extremely strong people, determined, but also - contrary to appearances - full of life. He shows happy endings, women who, when their hair grows back, forget about what is past, and are not afraid to look into the future and believe that they are out of the woods. Thanks to these experiences, many of them understood that the life they had led before did not make them happy, that they were surrounded by wrong people and they can change it overnight.

The film by Jakub Stożek is a proof that even the most difficult subject can be touched very deeply and shown in an extraordinarily open, emotional way, at the same time maintaining common sense and taste.

Magdalena Ciesielska

"Strongwoman" by Kacper Czubak, Iwona Kaliszewska

If you want to achieve something, you have to fight," says in one scene the protagonist of the documentary film by Kacper Czubak and Iwona Kaliszewska - "Strongwoman" (2013).

The main protagonist lives in a mountain village in Dagestan. Laws, rules and customs here are based on conservative Islam. In such a reality, women are marginalised, suffocated, timid, they feel like second-class citizens at best. They do not protest, do not try to assert their rights. First and foremost, they stay at home and humbly fulfil the roles imposed on them by their husbands. One of the residents says to the camera: This place is for men. Here, we talk about everything, about life, about important matters. Let women take care of their matters at home.

The protagonist stands out from among passive women. She is a non-conformist in the patriarchal world. Why does she not conform to it? In her youth she was a wrestling champion, she fought men all the time - on the mat and in her life. If there is a need to fight again, I will, she says at the end of the film. She does not lack strength and courage to confront men, she does not lack strength to run a household. If any of the women speaks, leaves her house, it is her. And it is worth fighting for; it is enough to look into the eyes of a bride at a wedding: scared eyes, unsure of what the future holds.

The directors managed to create a story about incredible human strength, persistence which makes the protagonist never give up and keep on struggling.

Daniel Stopa

"It's Only A Dream" by Jakub Michnikowski

Old, ruined manor house in the countryside. Inside, there are things piling up, a bike leaning on the wall, sacks filled with clothes. On the couch, there are two lazy dogs - Diana and Szora. In the room, there sits also an elderly, ailing man. He is looking straight into the camera, his eyes are calm and blue, after a moment he looks down. This is Mr. Jan, the protagonist of the film. There is also a little mouse which stands still, probably out of fear. These are the residents of the house, which are united not only by the place, but also by devotion and sincere friendship.

Mr. Jan used to live here happily with his wife and animals, with which they liked to be surrounded. When his wife died, Jan was left alone, enjoying only the companionship of their dogs. Yearning and sense of loneliness caused him not to care about himself and the house. He lives from day to day, not believing that anything good can still happen in his life. Walking the dogs is the only excuse to leave home, even for a moment, and take a stroll in the surroundings. However, his life only seems empty. Mr. Jan has a passion which absorbs almost all his time. He is interested in nature, in particular in the sea, which he admires watching nature films. Though he does not believe that he would ever see the sea with his own eyes, it becomes his only dream.

The director creates a poignant portrait of a man isolated from the rest of the world, who lost the only person close to him. Despite this, Mr. Jan is not downcast all the time. With a smile, he tells about his adventure with the mouse, which lives in his house, he also addresses his dogs warmly. The director shows that even in such difficult situations one has to have hope, because sometimes, even in the least expected moment, there may be an opportunity to make it come true. By using close-ups quite often, Michnikowski lets us take a look at the protagonist's face, look almost into his eyes. Thanks to it, we are able to know him better and understand why the director was interested in this person. Undoubtedly, Mr. Jan is an extraordinary protagonist, who focuses our attention and is really likeable. A protagonist who does not impose himself and at the same time has an influence on the charm of the film to a large extent.

Magdalena Ciesielska

“Knife In The Wife", by Vita Drygas

Intimate film by Vita Drygas depicts the work of the staff of the circus "Arizona" and their daily struggles with reality. Everyone has his or her own role here, a task to do. We can see how a team of six people prepares for the performances for the local community. They hang posters, advertise via a megaphone while driving the car through the nearby villages. They pitch tents, practise and finally, wait for their performance behind the curtain. Though the aim of circus performers is to arouse joy and excitement, in their own lives there is not much space for similar emotions.

The director creates an extraordinarily reflective image, devoid of unnecessary words and commentary. There are almost no dialogues, and the protagonists pass each other by, as if they do not notice one another. Although there are grotesque moments in the grey everyday life, the undertone of the entire film is far from being funny. The author looks at the hard work of the people, for whom it is the only sense of life. For them, the circus is something more than a workplace, it is their home. The circus "Arizona" is long past its prime, and the everyday difficulties contribute to the fact that there is no passion and satisfaction to be seen in these people. The team of six people lives in very bad conditions. Tents, tools which they use, clothes, wooden planks building the seats for the audience, in a word, everything looks very old and worn-out. However, when evening comes and the audience gathers in front of the circus arena, the film's atmosphere changes. All of this is no longer of any importance and becomes unnoticeable. The lights go down and there begins what everyone has been waiting for. The highlight of the programme will be a spectacular show of throwing knives at a "human shield." We can see children's faces with their eyes fixed on the stage, their cheeks flushed. Loud laughter mingles with moments of fear and surprise. The adults also laugh, though initially they wanted to keep a cold distance. As it turns out, the magic of circus still exists, and the viewers, regardless of their age, eagerly succumb to it.

Magdalena Ciesielska

"From Grundwald Village", by Artur Wierzbicki

A bitter, though not devoid of irony, image of a small town with a large historical significance, about which every Pole learnt at school. Grunwald - once a place of glory and a reason to be proud of, now a place immersed in apathy and poverty. For the inhabitants, the only kind of entertainment every day is drinking beer next to the shop. Once a year, however, something happens which changes the slow rhythm of this place and ends the boredom prevailing here. There are celebrations of yet another anniversary of the great battle. The event attracts a lot of tourists, politicians and people passionate about historical re-enactment. It is a chance for the inhabitants to trim the long overgrown lawns or clean up the church. This is a period when they can get away from it all and there is a chance of profit. Stalls with souvenirs, swords and armour spring up, paid parking lots are established.

The director builds the image of this provincial town by showing some very interesting personalities. One of the protagonists is an elderly woman who makes money collecting snails on the field around Grunwald. During the event, she sells various souvenirs at her stall. Apart from her, we get acquainted with a man who offers a souvenir in a form of a photo with his horse Maciek. There are also two boys who we meet for the first time when they are playing in the puddles, and then observe them watching the re-enactment of the battle with their cheeks flushed and with curiosity. Wierzbicki looks not only at the inhabitants, but also at the arriving tourists. He contrasts two worlds which, though they are mutually exclusive, belong to the same place. Colourful ribbons, flags, fans, clothes and the omnipresent buzz during the ceremony emphasises even more the greyness and apathy of this place on ordinary days. Among smiling people, trying on armour and buying wooden swords, we notice a woman collecting cans and a young man inviting to use the car park. Looking at the crowd, we can easily distinguish who lives here and who is just a guest. The camera records the high-flown speeches of the politicians, about the visible development of the region, about the respect for the local customs and about optimism. All this, however, looks very grotesque when contrasted with the image.

The end of the film is a kind of bracket, return to the starting point. The celebration is over, the cars left, the stalls have been dismantled, emotions subsided and the joyful atmosphere disappeared into thin air. One has to go back to the reality - the bench next to the shop, pointless looking out of the window, searching for snails. All this in anticipation of the next year and the day which makes it a special place, if only for a moment.

Magdalena Ciesielska