91自拍论坛

TRAILER:

With introductory remarks by Jurij Meden, Curator of Film Exhibitions, Moving Image Department George Eastman Museum

Andrzej Wajda鈥檚 final film, completed shortly before the master鈥檚 unexpected death, is maybe also his most intensely personal film. Afterimage is a passionate biopic about avant-garde artist W艂adys艂aw Strzemi艅ski (brilliantly played by Polish superstar Bogus艂aw Linda), who battled Stalinist orthodoxy and his own physical impairments to advance his progressive ideas about art. Set in the years from 1948 to 1952, the film is an intimate record of the final years of this painter and art professor, beloved by his students, as he fights a losing battle against Poland鈥檚 Communist government, while at the same time never compromising his ideals. The title of Afterimage is taken from Strzeminski鈥檚 Soloist paintings 鈥�Afterimages of the Sun鈥�. It鈥檚 explained that an 鈥渁fterimage鈥� is the imprint that stays on the retina when the original has faded.

Following the screening: Reception at George Eastman Museum (by invitation only.)

A unique apartment building in Silesia, just near the Polish-German border. It is occupied by various interesting people: beautiful Jewish woman, R贸偶a, and three men infatuated with her: a Pole, a Silesian, and a German. There are also supporting characters: bon vivant Soba艅ski, a journalist from Warsaw, who is R贸za鈥檚 object of admiration, and Jan, a family friend. The plot begins in summer of 1939, and the first part culminates with a dramatic night of war鈥�. Then, the protagonists who survived the war find themselves in a different reality, in Poland of the 1950s. Only R贸偶a鈥檚 charm remains still present and unchanged鈥�

Following the screening: a question and answer session with Director Micha艂 Rosa

TRAILER:

The new picture of award-winning film director Jan Kidawa-B艂o艅ski tells the story of Jan Bana艣, acclaimed Silesian soccer player of the 1960s and 1970s, whose goal let Poland take the lead in the match against England in Chorz贸w in 1973. Since his childhood, his greatest passion has been soccer, and his greatest rival is his devoted friend, Ginter. As time passes by, the friends鈥� competition transfers from the backyard to the stadiums of Silesian football clubs. Their rivalry extends off the field when beautiful Marlena shows up in the life of both sports stars and Jan and Ginter quickly discover that there are no rules in the game of love. When a serious injury brings Ginter鈥檚 career to an end, the main character faces a difficult choice that will determine the rest of his life.

Following the screening: a question and answer session with Writer-Director Jan Kidawa-B艂o艅ski

TRAILER:

The Last Family chronicles the last 28 years in the life of Poland's famous painter, photographer, and sculptor Zdzis艂aw Beksi艅ski. Far from being a classic biopic, The Last Family is a darkly humorous story about strong family ties. It concerns a peculiar love, marked by death, which lurks everywhere 鈥� it is present in Zdzis艂aw鈥檚 paintings,; through in music, beloved by his son Tomasz,; and in the disease, that afflicts his wife Zofia. It is also a story about people who experience their lives as an explosive mix of ideas taken from cinema, art, music and everyday reality. Finally, it is a movie about artistic nonfulfillment 鈥� about a family formed and destroyed by art. Having full access to the Beksi艅ski family鈥檚 archives, Jan Matuszy艅ski was able to create a movie that painted an extremely realistic picture of the family, told through the utterly realistic performances of some of the best Polish film actors. Andrzej Seweryn won best actor at Locarno for his portrayal of Zdzis艂aw Beksi艅ski鈥檚 intentions and beliefs.

TRAILER:

The Art of Love an adaptation of Michalina Wis艂ocka鈥檚 biography, is a story of the famous Polish gynecologist and sexologist, and her determination to educate Poles about their sex lives. Her so-called textbook, 鈥淭he Art of Love鈥� sold more than seven million copies in Poland, not including the number of copies in unofficial circulation. 鈥淭he Art of Love鈥� was also a bestseller in other countries in the Soviet bloc. In the film, we can see Wis艂ocka in a few distant moments in her life: in her childhood, in wartimesr, during her medical studies, and eventually in the 1960s and 70s, when she struggles to revolutionize Polish sexology. She has spent years fighting both the conservative social customs, and the merciless censorship. The creators of the movie paint her as a brave, charismatic woman, who had to take on the patriarchal reality of Polish People鈥檚 Republic for the benefit of her patients, and paid for her choices with her ruined private life.

TRAILER:

A small village in the south-western part of Volhynia, former southeast Poland, populated by Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. 1939. Zosia is in love with a Ukrainian boy from her village, but her father decides to marry her off to the richest farmer, a Pole, a widower much older than her, who has two children. The life of the village is altered, first by the Soviet occupation, and nearly two years later by the German attack on the USSR. The persecution and mass murder of Jews begin the following year. Meanwhile, although not supported by Germans, the Ukrainian aspirations to establish a sovereign country are constantly rising. The tension between the Polish and Ukrainian neighbors increases and nationalist and fascistic sentiment grow within Ukrainians, in response to the Polish heavy-handedness. In February 1943 the OUN-B (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Stepan Bandera faction) orders the expulsion of all Poles from Volhynia to obtain an 鈥渆thnically pure territory鈥� within a future 鈥渇ree鈥� Ukrainian nation state. Troops of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) attack Polish settlements and often equally ruthless Poles take revenge on the Ukrainians. Amongst this sea of hatred Zosia is trying to save her children. Asked if the vivid reconstruction of the events would not reopen old wounds and inflame long-standing conflicts, Smarzowski replied: 鈥淭his film will not divide people. On the contrary, as I see it, this is a film that will bring Poles and Ukrainians together, and likewise the whole world in the fight against fascist ideology鈥�.

WARNING: Film contains some graphic violence.

Panel discussion will follow the screening

TRAILER:

During World War II, about 1000 Polish children from occupied Poland and Soviet prison camps in Stalin鈥檚 Siberia, travelled all the way to Gujarat in India, where Jam Saheb (Ruler) Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar took personal risks to make arrangements to build a camp for them in a place called Balachadi, 25 km from his capital city Jamnagar. Jam Saheb welcomed the young orphaned Polish children and truly became their "Bapu" (father). H.E. Shatrushalya Sinhji, son of Jam Saheb defines his father's compassionate gesture by stating "Humanity is just one and people who divide humanity in caste, in religions and nationalities are really ruining the great gift which God has given us." The film is a rare glimpse into the lives of five of the 鈥淪urvivors of Balachadi鈥� as they proudly call themselves. Settled now in Warsaw (Poland), these aged survivors relate unique heart-warming stories of their 鈥渉ome鈥� in Jamnagar and Balachadi where they spent four years (1942-46) of their childhoods.

TRAILER:

Maria Sk艂odowska-Curie is a film about legendary Nobel-Prize-winning physicist and chemist, who triggered controversy not only for her incursion into the male-dominated world of French science, but also with her unconventional romantic life. Born in Warsaw on November 7, 1869, Sk艂odowska moved to Paris in 1891 to pursue her studies in mathematics and physics at the Sorbonne and became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, the first person to win it twice, and the first female professor at the University of Paris. The story covers the most turbulent five years of her life, between 1905, when she went to Stockholm with her husband, Pierre Curie, to be awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of radioactivity, and 1911, when she received her second Nobel Prize.

"Marie Curie is mesmerizing, heartfelt and powerful with an Oscar-worthy performance by Karolina Gruszka. It's one of the best films of the year." -

Following the screening: Closing of the Festival. Reception at the Little Caf茅.