The 11th issue of the Focus on Poland magazine is now available online! It contains interviews with filmmakers, film reviews, and articles on what’s been happening in the world of Polish documentaries in recent months.

In the latest issue, which you can read online (DOWNLOAD HERE),we highly recommend articles about polish documentary films:

>>> Krzysztof Gierat's interview with Tomasz Wysokiński, director of Walk with Angels – the Golden Hobby-Horse winner at the 61st Krakow Film Festival.

„I was also wondering why these people trusted me at all. One of these characters, Michael, says he lost track of how many people he’s killed. There’s a lot of shocking material I didn’t use (…) I think I have reached a point, an edge, where the film is still acceptable to our sensibilities. Unfortunately the awareness of good and evil, and where the boundaries lie that separate these two concepts, has become blurred in this world. Human life there often costs no more than 20–25 dollars.” (excerpt)

>>> Those seeking documentary news should definitely read the article “Extraordinary Heroes and Controversial Topics. What Interests Polish Documentarians”, where we take a closer look at several projects Polish documentary filmmakers are currently working on.

„It would seem that the pandemic has significantly hampered both producing films and holding industry events that showcase upcoming projects– as most of them have moved online.Nevertheless, it has been a very successful year for Polish documentary cinema.” (excerpt)

>>> And if you want to check out what's going on with your favourite documentary filmmakers, we recommend the article “Polish Documentary Filmmakers and Narrative Films”. Are we seeing the emergence of a new trend, or perhaps a natural path of artistic development? See what Anita Piotrowska has to say on the subject.

„Krzysztof Kieślowski abandoned the documentary genre after realising that a ‘living’ human being cannot be fully figured out or enclosed in a directorial concept. He focused on fiction when he felt he had no right to film real tears – it was better to hire actors and use glycerine.(…) In contemporary Polish cinema, especially that of the younger and middle generation, there is a group of filmmakers who have followed a similar path, though not necessarily due to ethical dilemmas, and their parting with artistic documentaries isn’t often a definitive one.” (excerpt)

>>> One of our projects has celebrated its 15th birthday this year. Don't miss our writeup summarising the very intense activities of Polish Docs.

>>> Reviews and catalogue of the latest Polish documentary films

Focus on Poland is a magazine published in English by the Krakow Film Foundation as part of the Polish Docs, Polish Shorts, and Polish Animations projects, and its aim is to present the most interesting artists, topics, and trends in Polish documentary, animated, and short films. Typically, the magazine travels around the world and is made available to industry insiders and the public at major international film festivals and events. For the second year, it has been published online due to the pandemic. "Focus on Poland" is published with the support of the Polish Film Institute. You can download the latest and all previous issue here.

DECEMBER 2021