Loving is the story of the complicated relationship of a married couple of thirty-year-olds who appear to have everything they need to be happy. Maria has a successful career, Tomek is also satisfied with his job. They are decorating their new home and expecting a baby. It feels like nothing could shake their relationship. But Maria’s secret is a traumatic experience that not only changes her, but also impacts the relationship with her husband. The love between these two people is put to a long and straining test.
Director: Sławomir Fabicki Screenwriters: Marek Pruchniewski, Slawomir Fabicki Production: Leszek Rybarczyk, Marek Rudnicki Cast: Marcin Dorociński, Julia Kijowska, Dorota Kolak, Wojciech Mecwaldowski, Agata Kulesza, Adam Woronowicz, Marian Dziędziel Time: 105 minutes Awards: The award for Best Film at the 18th ‘Kino Pavasaris’ International Film Festival in Vilnius; the Golden Prometheus Award; the top award of the Tbilisi Film Festival; the top prize in the Main Competition of the 14th Festival of European Cinema in Lecce; the Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for Julia Kijowska Genre: Drama, Romance
Based on a true story, Life Feels Good is the story of Mateusz, a man living with cerebral palsy who has little to no contact with the world around him. Incorrectly diagnosed as mentally disabled, Mateusz is institutionalised at a clinic and takes a retrospective look at his life.
Director: Maciej Pieprzyca Screenwriter: Maciej Pieprzyca Production: Studio Filmowe Tramway Cast: Dawid Ogrodnik, Kamil Tkacz, Dorota Kolak, Arkadiusz Jakubik, Anna Karczmarczyk, Katarzyna Zawadzka, Mikołaj Roznerski, Helena Sujecka, Anna Nehrebecka Time: 112 minutes Awards: The Eagles – Polish Film Academy Awards for Dawid Ogrodnik for Best Actor, for Arkadiusz Jakubik for Best Supporting Actor, for Anna Nehrebecka for Best Supporting Actress, for Maciej Pieprzyca for Best Screenplay; Filmweb Award for Maciej Pieprzyca; Silver Lion Award & Audience Award at the Gdynia Film Festival; the Award of the Ecumencial Jury and the Audience Award at World Film Festival in Montreal: Grand Prix des Ameriques Genre: Drama
The true story of Papusza – the first Roma woman who put her poems into writing and published them, confronting traditional female image in the gypsy community. The film follows PAPUSZA’s life from birth to old age: arranged marriage as a small girl, her life in a gypsy tabor before, during and after second world war, then forced settlement in communist Poland and urban life in poverty. Her meeting with the Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski, who discovered her great talent for poetry and published her works led to a tragic paradox: a famous poet was living in poverty, rejected by the Roma community for betraying their secrets.
Director: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Screenwriters: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Production: Argomedia Sp. z o.o. Telewizja Polska – Agencja Filmowa, Canal+ Polska, Studio Filmowe Kadr Cast: Jowita Budnik, Antoni Pawlicki, Zbigniew Waleryś, Artur Steranko Time: 126 minutes Awards: The Eagles – Polish Film Academy Awards for Best Busic, Best Photography, Best Scenography, Best Costumes; Award for Zbigniew Waleryś for Best Supporting Actor at The Gdynia Film Festival; Award for Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz for Best Music at The Gdynia Film Festival Genre: Biography, Drama
Q&A with the main actor, Filip Pławiak, moderated by Zbigniew Banaś.
One Way Ticket to the Moon is a coming of age road film set in 1969, the year when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. The script follows the cross-country trip taken by two brothers – the younger getting ready to join the army and the older trying to prepare him for the rough life ahead. While they travel they meet old friends and make new acquaintances, resulting in a comic story set in the reality of the communist People’s Republic of Poland. In the last phase, Bromski ‘s light-hearted comedy shifts into a melodramatic hostage caper in edgy Berlin, in a bizarre, but true-story ending.
Director: Jacek Bromski Screenwriter: Jacek Bromski Production: Jacek Bromski Produkcja Filmowa, Studio Filmowe Zebra Cast: Filip Pławiak, Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Anna Przybylska, Bożena Adamek, Łukasz Simlat, Andrzej Chyra, Andrzej Grabowski Time: 120 minutes Awards: Golden Reel for Best Director at the Triburon International Film Festival in California, Best Screenplay Award at Gdynia Film Festival Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
A sensitive, quietly devastating film, To Kill This Love, is a portrait of a young, penny-pinched urban couple under pressure from within and without. The heroes, Magda and Andrzej, are in love and do odd things in the name of it. Sometimes people steal, other times people lie and cheat all in the name of preserving what they feel is love. To Kill This Love explores all of that and more as it explores young love in early 70s Poland.
Director: Janusz Morgenstern Screenwriter: Janusz Głowacki Cast: Andrzej Malec, Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak, Alicja Jachiewicz, Janusz Bylczyński, Jan Englert, Bożena Dykiel, Władysław Kowalski, Ewa Ziętek Time: 97 minutes Awards: Jury’s Distinction for Janusz Morgenstern at the Koszalin Festival of Film Debuts “Young Ones and Film” in Koszalin; Acting award for Jadwiga Jankowska Cieślak at the Koszalin Festival of Film Debuts “Young Ones and Film” and acting award at the 1st International Film Meetings “Youth on Screen”; Award for Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak for female actor in a leading role at the Lubuskie Film Summer in Łagów; Zbyszek Cybulski Award for Jadwiga Jankowska Cieślak; Grand Prix – “Golden Grape” for Janusz Morgenstern at the Lubuskie Film Summer in Łagów Genre: Drama, Romance
On a deserted beach, on their last day at the seaside, a woman and a young man meet. He has been watching her for several days. He urges her to stay. She is burnt out internally, from war experiences and the loss of a loved one − a pilot, full of bitterness and distrust of people. Despite their mutual attraction, they are psychologically stuck, with the shadow of war looming over them − a mysterious past (the young man cannot find any anchor in life, he takes up various jobs), and an uncertain future. There are often jets flying over the beach, leaving behind trails of smoke − like a reminder of the war, destruction and disaster. At dusk, the woman falls asleep, he leaves unnoticed. After waking up, the woman desperately looks for him. The storm intensifies. Traces of their footsteps lead to the sea.
Director: Tadeusz Konwicki Screenwriter: Tadeusz Konwicki Production: Zespół Filmowy Kadr Cast: Irena Laskowska, Jan Machulski Time: 62 minutes Awards: EXPO in Brussels (Belgium): Grand Prix for experimental film; International Documentary and Short Film Festival in Venice; Grand Prix; Cinema Enthusiasts Award Samovar Genre: Drama, Romance
Originally titled “Pociag”, this Polish film noir and Hitchcock homage stars Lucyna Winnicka and Leon Niemczyk. A mysterious young man (Niemczyk), claiming to be a doctor, boards the night train. Overcrowded conditions compels the new passenger to share a sleeping car with a secretive young woman (Winnicka). Neither of these reluctant companions is prone to small talk–and both seem to be hiding something. In fact, both seem to be running away from something. The police soon board the train searching for a murderer.
Director: Jerzy Kawalerowicz Screenwriters: Jerzy Lutowski, Jerzy Kawalerowicz Production: Zespół Filmowy Kadr Cast: Lucyna Winnicka, Leon Niemczyk, Zbigniew Cybulski, Teresa Szmigielówna, Helena Dąbrowska, Ignacy Machowski, Roland Głowacki, Aleksander Sewruk, Zygmunt Zintel, Tadeusz Gwiazdowski, Witold Skaruch Time: 99 minutes Awards: Golden Duck for best Polish film; Special distinction for Lucyna Winnicka at International Film Festival in Venice Genre: Drama, Thriller
An ironical and absurd comedy set at a university summer school camp. The shallowness and cynicism of the academic milieu becomes apparent through the relationship between a young linguistics professor, Jaroslaw, and his diabolical senior colleague, Jakub. Krzysztof Zanussi presents the deeply troubling premise of academic conformity with witty humor.
Director: Krzysztof Zanussi Screenwriter: Krzysztof Zanussi Production: Zespół Filmowy Tor Cast: Piotr Garlicki, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Christine Paul, Mariusz Dmochowski Time: 101 minutes Awards: Grand Prix at the Film Festival in Gdańsk, “Golden Capricorn” at the International Film Festival in Tehran; Critics award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival Genre: Comedy, Drama
In a care home surrounded by magical forest deep in the middle of nowhere, the residents lead quiet, unruffled lives. Only Sundays seem to bring any variety. For Sunday is visiting day. On Sunday, the residents’ preparations for their families’ arrival start with the early morning. Yet with every passing hour their hope of seeing their loved ones dwindles. They have no choice but to believe that their visitors have lost their way in the forest. But they are sure to come next week.
Director: Matej Bobrik Screenwriter: Matej Bobrik Production: Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich – Studio Munka Time: 11 minutes Genre: Short
Tadeusz Rolke, an aged master of Polish photography, has more than just a typical teacher-student relationship with 15-year-old Michał. Together, they travel across Poland to take portrait photographs of the residents of small towns and villages while the dark room placed in their camper enables them to develop pictures on the spot and give them to the models whom they accidentally met. For the boy, this is an excellent opportunity to find out about the arcana of traditional photography. For both – an opportunity to experience a beautiful friendship.
Director: Piotr Stasik Screenwriter: Piotr Stasik Production: KIJORA (Anna Gawlita) Time: 54 minutes Genre: Documentary
They share a name, a profession that is also their passion, but also a complicated bond full of resentment and ambiguity. Two acclaimed documentary filmmakers, Marcel and Paweł Łoziński, set off on a road trip across Europe. For the father, the journey marks the return to the place of his birth. For the son, it is an attempt to come to terms with their joint past. Both men try to record this difficult dialogue on film.
Director: Paweł Łoziński Screenwriter: Paweł Łoziński, Marcel Łoziński Production: Łoziński Production Time: 54 minutes Awards: Silver Horn for the best feature-length documentary at 53rd Krakow Film Festival; Grand Prix ”Biała Kobra“ at „Człowiek w zagrożeniu“ Festival 2013; Złote Grono Award at 42th Lubuskie Film Summer Genre: Documentary
Miracle, Remedy, Regret, Prayer and Forgiveness – not to be afraid of. Jagoda Szelc believes that each one of us should teach somebody how to overcome the fear of dying. Avoiding a conventional plot “Such a landscape” follows the path of emotions and sensations of five stories based on actual events.
Director: Jagoda Szelc Screenwriter: Jagoda Szelc Production: PWSFTviT (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna) Time: 23 minutes Award: Golden Tadpole at the 21st Camerimage Film Festival Genre: Short
A black-humour comedy about staying away from the rat race, and about a wry constatation that only idiots are capable of true happiness. Paweł Burak, a much frustrated theology student, declares war against an oppressive reality.
Director: Jakub Pączek Screenwriter: Jakub Pączek Production: Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich – Studio Munka Time: 30 minutes Genre: Short
The life of a railway watchman living in a small station in the middle of a forest follows the rhythm of passing trains. In his free time he plays the trumpet, plays with a hedgehog and struggles with a naughty boy. A young woman on a bike is a regular visitor to the station, yet every meeting with her proves a wasted opportunity for the watchman. One of passing trains will evoke his reflections on life.
Director: Piotr Szczepanowicz Screenwriter: Piotr Szczepanowicz Production: Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich – Studio Munka Time: 11 minutes Award: Award for Best Director at Cracow Film Festival Genre: Animation
La Voleuse is about a girl who tries to “steal” Daniel Merriam’s paintings from a Soho gallery. She is so enamored with these paintings that she is physically drawn inside their world and cannot return to reality. The film is a journey that takes place between one click and another. Between the camera shutter opening and closing we see the girl as a thief/photographer in a gallery. Inside the painting, she is tormented by animals. At the end of her journey inside the painting, a butterfly shows her a rose, in which she sees her own reflection. White rose petals transform into shutter blades, and she recognizes herself as a photographer, not a thief. Did she steal the painting? She definitely took the picture.
Director: Magda Sztompka Cast: Dasha Kittredge Production: Pratt University, New York Time: 5 minutes Genre: Short
Two elderly swimmers meet at the baths for their ritual swimming. This time they are diving deeper than usual.
Director: Tomek Ducki Screenwriter: Tomek Ducki Production: Studio Miniatur Filmowych Time: 4 minutes Awards: Best Visual Award at 11th Fantoche International Animation Film Festival; Jury’s Special Award at 15th International Animation Festival Hiroshima Genre: Animation
A poetic story about the courage to venture out into the big wide world. The Little Red Paper Ship has a dream to discover new land. Despite the fact, that he is just a small ship made from a piece of paper, he has also courage in his heart to believe that everything is possible. One day he decides to start a journey, which would lead him to accomplish his dream. The journey turns out to be a great adventure… that will change him forever.
Director: Aleksandra Zaręba Production: Lena Vurma Time: 12 minutes Awards: Golden Angel – The Audience Award from Kameralne Lato Festival; Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung for International Cooperation Genre: Animation
Fearless optimist Anna teams up with Kristoff in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom in eternal winter.
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Screenwriters: Jennifer Lee Production: Walt Disney Animation Studios Stars: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana Time:102 minutes Awards: The Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year; The Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song; Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film; BAFTA Film Award for Best Animated Film; Saturn Award for Best Animated Film Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Screening Time: Thursday, October 16, 8:30 PM
Loving is the story of the complicated relationship of a married couple of thirty-year-olds who appear to have everything they need to be happy. Maria has a successful career, Tomek is also satisfied with his job. They are decorating their new home and expecting a baby. It feels like nothing could shake their relationship. But Maria’s secret is a traumatic experience that not only changes her, but also impacts the relationship with her husband. The love between these two people is put to a long and straining test.
Director: Sławomir Fabicki
Screenwriters: Marek Pruchniewski, Slawomir Fabicki
Production: Leszek Rybarczyk, Marek Rudnicki
Cast: Marcin Dorociński, Julia Kijowska, Dorota Kolak, Wojciech Mecwaldowski, Agata Kulesza, Adam Woronowicz, Marian Dziędziel
Time: 105 minutes
Awards: The award for Best Film at the 18th ‘Kino Pavasaris’ International Film Festival in Vilnius; the Golden Prometheus Award; the top award of the Tbilisi Film Festival; the top prize in the Main Competition of the 14th Festival of European Cinema in Lecce; the Best Actress Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival for Julia Kijowska
Genre: Drama, Romance