FILMS FROM WAJDA SCHOOL
AT ERA NEW HORIZONS FESTIVAL

At this year's ERA NEW HORIZONS Festival in Wrocław the Andrzej Wajda Film School will show 4 productions: 3 feature films and 1 documentary film.

In Polish Short Film Competition at ERA NEW HORIZONS the Wajda School will present 4 productions: 'On Credit' directed by Przemysław Nowakowski, 'Sleepwalkers' by Maciek Sterło-Orlicki,'Street Feeling' by Kristoffer Karlsson Rus and 'Mother' by Jakub Piątek. Moreover in the competition will be screened 'Królik po berlińsku [Rabbit à la Berlin]' by Bartek Konopka - film produced by MS Films and supported by the Wajda School.

'On Credit' directed by Nowakowski is a modern version of medieval legend about two lovers who couldn't see each other because of a curse. In the case of Agnieszka (Magdalena Górska) and Lucek (Łukasz Garlicki) the curse turns out to be a mortgage loan whose payment requires from them more and more commitment to their jobs. After some time they hardly see each other and they contact only through video-letters.
 
'Sleepwalkers' by Sterło-Orlicki is a story reminding us that true love is much more important than all hair on our head. The main character – a barber Rafał – does not want to accept the breakdown of his relationship with overworked Kama. He is still  living with her parents. One day, to his barbershop there comes Majka, a woman who  will turn his life upside down. 
 
These two feature films were produced within the framework of the '30 minutes' programme which was established in 2005 on the initiative of Wojciech Marczewski. The goal of this programme is to enable young filmmakers to make their feature film debut in professional conditions. The partners of the '30 minutes' are: the Andrzej Wajda Film School, the Andrzej Munk Studio 'The Young and Film' which is a part of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the Polish Television and the Polish Film Institute. 
 
‘Street Feeling’ directed by Kristoffer Rus, is a contemporary statement on the subject of the seventh commandment: ‘Thou Shall Not Steal’. In the film two different worlds meet: the first one, the world of graffiti-makers who risk everything for the sake of artistic freedom and the second one, the world of consumption and advertising represented by a graphic designer Tomasz. What does it have to do with the seventh commandment? The film was produced within the ‘Decalogue 89+’ programme. It was produced in cooperation with the Foundation ‘Institute for Promotion of Education’, the Operon Education Publishing House, Harpoon Films. The Andrzej Wajda Film School was the executive producer and took artistic care of the project.

Jakub Piątek's 'Mother' is a story of mother who comes to visit her son – in prison. One hour in the prison meeting room, that must suffice for several weeks... The film was produced within the frame of 'The First Documentary' programme - run by the Andrzej Wajda Film School, the Andrzej Munk Studio 'The Young and Film' which is a part of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the Polish Television and the Polish Film Institute.

Moreover in Wrocław will be presented 'Królik po berlińsku [Rabbit à la Berlin]' directed by Bartek Konopka - the graduate of the Wajda School. The film tells a story of thousands of rabbits which lived in the Death Zone of the Berlin Wall. The film is an allegory which brings closer the history of Eastern Europe as seen from a 'rabbit' perspective. For director Bartek Konopka and cinematographer Piotr Rosołowski it is a second attempt, after 'Ballada o kozie [Goat Walker]', to tell about people through the prism of animals. 'Królik po berlińsku' is an international project financed by MDR, RBB and ARTE televisions and by Polish television TVP1. It was also co-financed by: Finnish television YLE, Belgian Lichtpunt and Dutch VPRO. The film was produced with the support of the MEDIA programme, the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing and the Polish Film Institute. The producers are: MS Films, Poland and majade Filmproduktion, Germany.

Screenings of the films from the Andrzej Wajda School will take place in the HELIOS cinema (ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego 19/23):

'On Credit'
27.07., 4 PM
 
'Mother' 
31.07., 1 PM

‘Street Feeling’
'Sleepwalkers'
30.07., 4 PM

'Rabbit à la Berlin'
25.07., 1 PM

 

(July 2009)