“SILVER” AND “THE QUEEN AND THE SMOKEHOUSE” TO COMPETE FOR THE GOLDEN FROG AT THE ENERGACAMERIMAGE FESTIVAL

Two Polish documentary films – “Silver”, directed by Natalia Koniarz with cinematography by Stanisław Cuske, and “THE QUEEN AND THE SMOKEHOUSE”, directed by Iga Lis with cinematography by Kacper Gawron – have been selected for the documentary competition at the EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival, which will take place in Toruń from November 15 to 22, 2025.

The aim of the competition is to honor documentary film as a creative interpretation of reality, while celebrating the most outstanding achievements in the art of cinematography. The jury will evaluate the work of cinematographers who, through visual storytelling, are able not only to depict the world but also to interpret it with exceptional artistic sensitivity.

“THE QUEEN AND THE SMOKEHOUSE” is a poetic portrait of Miecia – the charismatic owner of a legendary fish smokehouse in Łeba. For four decades, she has created a place filled with passion, the scent of salt and smoke, which has become a symbol of local identity. Kacper Gawron’s camera tenderly captures both the raw beauty of the Baltic landscape and the strength of a woman rooted in her daily life.

“Silver” takes the viewer deep into the world’s oldest silver mine, located in Bolivia. With his camera, Stanisław Cuske explores the darkness of the underground tunnels, recording the physical and emotional weight of mining work – from a teenage boy to a seasoned female miner. Through powerful, visually charged images, the film reveals the human struggle and the lingering echoes of a colonial past.

EnergaCAMERIMAGE is the largest festival in the world dedicated to the art of cinematography – a unique meeting place for acclaimed artists and emerging filmmakers. Each year, Toruń becomes a space for discussions on the present and future of cinema, and above all, a celebration of film imagery as a universal language of artistic expression.

More information about the festival and the films in competition can be found here.