Here is the second part of the line-up of Polish Films Competition under patronage of Plus network operator! You cand find the descriptions of the previously announced films HERE.



Daas

The genre of Polish costume drama has enriched with another brilliant film, though such an original one that while being clearly inspired by the traditions of national cinema, it becomes a distinctive voice within its boundaries. In “Daas"Adrian Panek goes back to 17th century Poland, divided into fractions, broken by foreign kinships, yet he creates the reality also with the use of means transcending the era, even some modern ones. For “Daas" is above all a film puzzle, constructed out of illusions, machinations and constantly deceiving plot; a comedy, drama, film noir, thriller, perfidious play with the viewers' expectations, made by a film author fully aware of the possibilities given to him as an artist.

"Daas", courtesy of Best Film
Arkadiusz Tomiak's cinematography is one of the most important factors of “Daas". On the one hand, it heightens the aura of mysteriousness, thus intensifying Panek's intended tricky spell of surrounding the audiences with ambiguities. On the other, it serves as an impressive means of distraction so that the viewers will not overanalyze the plot points, hence drag them into the world of confusion and illusion. Therefore, Tomiak could arrange many scenes with visual grandeur which made “Daas" more a fantasy-like fable than realistically recreated drama set in the given era. Nevertheless, just as Panek's intricate plot, the cinematography in “Daas" combines many intriguing visual ideas. Sometimes it accentuates the ethereal reality, expressing emotions through pale beauty of fields and forests covered in fog, at other times it emphasizes the visual splendor of royal chambers and urban spaces.

Polish title: Daas
Directed by: Adrian Panek
Cinematography: Arkadiusz Tomiak
Polish distributor: Best Film
Polish premiere: 7th October 2011

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My Name is Ki

The titular Kinga, a.k.a. Ki, is a selfish and infantile woman who had to mature too soon because of giving birth to a child, and the only thing she ever wanted in life was freedom from commitments and any responsibility. Nonetheless, Leszek Dawid does not judge her actions, allowing his heroine to bring mayhem into everybody's lives. Although Ki uses everything and everybody, she has one big advantage - she is not false, she does not pretend to be somebody else to get some help, she even follows some sort of moral code. Whereas the reality outside the window is full of people who perceive others only in utilitarian terms.

"My Name is Ki", courtesy of Best Film
To represent Ki's world in a plausible manner, the filmmakers exchanged visual brilliance for visual efficiency. Cinematography by Łukasz Gutt is minimalistic, but exceptionally meaningful. The characters are often shot in close-ups and full shots, emphasizing Ki's radiantly colorful clothing reveals her free-spirited personality, and shooting two people on the other sides of a frame symbolizes the ideological gap between them. Dawid and Gutt are also not afraid to bring some kitschy contrasts - Ki's bloody-red footprints juxtaposed with her snow-white trousers and blouse - hence accentuating the girl's emotional immaturity.

Polish title: Ki
Directed by: Leszek Dawid
Cinematography: Łukasz Gutt
Polish distributor: Best Film
Polish premiere: 30th September 2011

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Fear of Falling

Son's love and bitter hatred borne out of anxiety - those are the strongest emotions marking the relations between Tomek (Marcin Dorociński) and his father Wojciech (Krzysztof Stroiński). Divided by the inability to understand each other, disheartened by the impotence in overcoming psychological barriers, the heroes of Bartosz Konopka's feature debut desperately try to live outside the boxes of their minds. “Fear of Falling" is not only a drama analyzing the ups and downs of a father-son toxic relationship, but above all a poignant and yet hopeful statement of the director - that with a great deal of support human being is able to win against any obstacles, including one's own demons.

"Fear of Falling", courtesy of Kino Świat
Piotr Niemyjski's cinematography plays an essential role in creating the film's reality and emphasizing protagonists' emotional looseness. The cinematographer manipulates the framing to herald the upcoming visceral quarrels. To stress Tomek's constant anxieties, Niemyjski often follows the character with the camera closing from behind, and when the protagonists turns back, looking all nervous, it is as if he was expecting an invisible enemy. Niemyjski's artistry can also be seen in fine lensing of film's subsequent expressive locations. And in flashback scenes that are stylized through the use of bluish filters, or looking like they were shot with some old, long forgotten film camera.

Polish title: Lęk wysokości
Directed by: Bartosz Konopka
Cinematography: Piotr Niemyjski
Polish distributor: Kino Świat


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Black Thursday

By undertaking a task of presenting in film the tragic events connected with Polish workers' general strike in 1970 against the corruption of the communistic People's Republic of Poland, Antoni Krauze accepted great responsibility. “Black Thursday" had to recreate plausibly “back to the past", so that the audiences would feel the atmosphere of the era, but also to be an emotional tribute to all those who died or were wounded in the clash with the militia. Polish filmmaker rose up to the task by telling this story through the eyes of individuals who lived at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Black Thursday", courtesy of Kino Świat
Jacek Petrycki's cinematography delivers the feeling of the 1970s both through mirroring the visual style of the time and interweaving archive materials. What is more, Petrycki “soaked" the film with quasi-documentary look, thanks to which the dramatized truth believably, without using aggressive pathos, presents all of the emotions whirling in the air in the streets and secret communist government meetings. The most impressive moments of the film are crowd scenes in which hundreds of young men and women fight for their honor - and life. Due to diligent and thoughtful visuals those moments spurt with visceral energy, helping the viewers to identify with the unknown workers who did not need pretty cars and large houses to be happy - they just wanted to be free.

Polish title: Czarny Czwartek
Directed by: Antoni Krauze
Cinematography: Jacek Petrycki
Polish distributor: Kino Świat
Polish premiere: 25th February 2011



***** ***** ***** ***** *****


Polish Films Competition under the patronage of Plus network operator is the most interesting presentation of contemporary Polish cinema, evaluated by a jury comprising exclusively of foreign filmmakers, artists and film critics. We have adopted this principle as the first Polish festival, and it allows universal evaluation criteria, free of local contexts and audience preferences. The films awarded annually within our competition are examples of original cinema and interesting creative strategies. These films are set in Polish culture and at the same time can appeal to an international audience in an universal way.

Polish Films Competition under the patronage of Plus network operator is an excellent opportunity to promote the most interesting, local Polish artists who can show their achievements to the international audience consisting of active filmmakers, well-known producers, respected critics. Our prestigious competition is a great opportunity for Polish directors and cinematographers to become known among the foreign audience, and to become a part of the international film production and distribution.

The cooperation of Plus Camerimage with our long-term partner, Plus network operator, ensures stability for the festival and enables its continuous development. The support we receive from Plus is also a contribution to international promotion of Polish cinema and its authors. The patronage over the Polish Films Competition is a natural consequence of the operator's engagement into the issues of Polish culture.