WERONIKA MLICZEWSKA'S 'CHILD OF DUST' IN THE RUNNING FOR AN OSCAR
Weronika Mliczewska's feature debut, Child of Dust, has been touring film festivals around the world for several months. At this year's Krakow Film Festival, the film won the main prize in the Documentary Competition - the Golden Horn - which opened up the possibility of a shorter path to nomination for the American Film Academy Awards.
Since its world premiere in March at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in Greece, 'Child of Dust' has been receiving invitations to more and more film festivals around the world. After screenings in Europe and New Zealand, the film was recently presented in the international competition at the Chania International Film Festival in Greece where it won the Audience Award, and had its American premiere at the prestigious Chicago International Film Festival, the oldest film festival in the United States, attended by the director and the film's protagonist, Sang. In the near future, ‘Child of Dust’ will be screened at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Festival in the Czech Joy competition section and in the international competition of the Turkish TRT International Documentary Awards. In Poland, during the American Film Festival, American co-producer Jim Stark has announced his presence at the screening of the film.
The protagonist of 'Child of Dust' is Sang. He is one of countless children left behind by American soldiers after the Vietnam War – unwanted, discriminated against and scarred by a conflict that took away not only his father. When Sang unexpectedly finds his seriously ill father in the United States, he decides to get to know him, even though it comes at a high price. The only way to fulfill this desire is to move to the US permanently, which means leaving his beloved wife, daughter and grandson behind. In a foreign country, he struggles to find his place – not only in a society that perceives him as an outsider, but also in an American family that never knew of his existence. Cultural barriers clash when the past unexpectedly intertwines with the present.
Thanks to winning the Golden Horn at the Krakow Film Festival, which is a qualifying award for the American Film Academy Awards, the film has made it onto the long list for the Oscars. In the near future, it has a chance to make it onto the short list and then receive an Oscar nomination.
The film was developed at the project stage during dok.incubator and DOC LAB POLAND, among others, and presented at pitches as part of KFF Industry.