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| Polish Film Festival in Gdynia | |
| 2007-10-03 | |
| The 32nd Polish Film Festival in Gdynia awarded its "Golden Lions" for best movie to 44-year-old Andrzej Jakimowski for his poetic love story Sztuczki (Tricks). Critics see this as a "thaw" in Polish film and a break from the grim realism that has dominated the country's cinema for the past decade. Sztuczki tells the story of a young boy (Damian Ul) who tries to get his father to return to the family he abandoned years ago by means of various tricks-hence the title. Sztuczki shows that we can all fulfill our most cherished dreams and find true happiness despite the odds. This is a film where people trust one another, treat each other with kindness and have a sense of humor. Adam Bajerski took the award for best cinematography, while organizers of Polish film festivals and reviews abroad gave the film their award for its "exceptional character and artistic consistency." This latter distinction ensures that the film will be screened in more than a dozen foreign film festivals including the International Film Festivals in Tokyo and Mannheim in October and the Rotterdam Festival in January. Sztuczki was also shown at the recent Venice Film Festival and won the UNICEF Award and the Europa Cinemas Award for best European film. Jakimowski was honored at Gdynia five years ago for his debut drama-comedy Zmruż oczy (Squint Your Eyes). The most enthusiastic ovation at Gdynia's Music Theater this year was reserved for someone else. The audience stood up to applaud 92-year-old actress Danuta Szaflarska who made her screen debut 61 years previously in Leonard Buczkowski's famous musical Zakazane piosenki (Forbidden Songs), one of Poland's first postwar productions. This veteran of Polish cinema was named best leading actress for her role in Pora umierać (Time to Die), a drama directed by 50-year-old Dorota Kędzierzawska who also wrote the screenplay. Kędzierzawska said she made the black-and-white movie specially for Szaflarska. "I wanted to create an exceptional role, almost a monodrama," she says. Szaflarska plays Aniela, an elderly woman who lives alone in an old, wooden house with her dog as her sole companion, confidant and protector. Pora umierać tells the story of a person brimming with life and humor who has to confront both past and present as her life draws to its close. Is she losing her life or gaining it? The question is never answered-not directly anyway. Aniela copes with her loneliness by smiling wryly at the reality she observes around her. Kędzierzawska warns viewers not to be misled by the title. "This may be a movie about coping with life, but it also extols the passion, the joy in life and shows that we can all attain this," she says. "I am not that old yet! I'm only 92!" was Szaflarska's response to journalists who asked her where she got her energy from. "I've played in a lot of movies, but this is the first time I've been given material of this caliber," she added. She also said she really enjoyed working with Kędzierzawska. Szaflarska had previously played in Kędzierzawska's Diabły, diabły (The Devils, the Devils) in 1992 and Nic (Nothing) in 1998. Pora umierać is scheduled to open in Poland Oct. 26. Robert Więckiewicz was named best leading actor for his roles in Świadek koronny (Key Witness), a thriller about the breaking up of Poland's largest criminal group, and the more low-key Wszystko będzie dobrze (Everything Will Be All Right). Box-office hits like Maciej Saramonowicz's Ciało (The Body) and Juliusz Machulski's Vinci have made 40-year-old Więckiewicz one of the most popular Polish actors of his generation over the last few years. Actor and director Jerzy Stuhr won the award for best screenplay for Korowód (Procession), a film that follows the fate of two generations of Poles by showing how the life of a former collaborator with the secret political police in communist Poland (Jan Frycz) becomes entwined with that of an equally corrupt college student. Tomasz Wiszniewski was awarded best director for Wszystko będzie dobrze, the story of a 12-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man who share a passion for sport. The boy is a talented athlete who excels in long-distance track events while the man teaches PE in an elementary school and has a serious drinking problem. The two embark on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary in Częstochowa although for completely different reasons. Twenty-two movies competed for the Golden Lions and other awards at this year's Gdynia festival. The festival opened with a special screening of Andrzej Wajda's Katyń, which, while not an entry, is Poland's candidate for the American Academy Award. Festival Awards Best film:Sztuczki, directed by Andrzej Jakimowski Special jury award:Ogród Luizy and U Pana Boga w ogródku Best direction:Tomasz Wiszniewski-Wszystko będzie dobrze Best screenplay:Jerzy Stuhr-Korowód Best lead actress:Danuta Szaflarska-Pora umierać Best lead actor:Robert Więckiewicz-Wszystko będzie dobrze and Świadek koronny Best supporting actress:Sonia Bohosiewicz-Rezerwat Best supporting actor:Zbigniew Stryj-Benek The jury also gave actors' awards to:Julia Pietrucha for her role in the film Jutro idziemy do kina and Marcin Dorociński for his role in Ogród Luizy. Best debut:director Łukasz Palkowski-Rezerwat Best film editing:Paweł Witecki-Rezerwat Best photography:Adam Bajerski-Sztuczki Best music score:Michał Lorenc-Wszystko będzie dobrze Best visual effects:Magdalena Dipont-Jutro idziemy do kina Best sound mixing:Marcin Kasiński, Kacper Habisiak and Michał Pajdiak-Pora umierać Best costume design:Magdalena Biedrzycka and Andrzej Szenajch-Jutro idziemy do kina Gdańsk City Mayor Award for acting debut:Joanna Kulig-Środa, czwartek rano, directed by Grzegorz Pacek Independent Cinema Contest Honorable mentions:W stepie szerokim, Łódka, Zamknięci w celuloidzie, Manna Special award:Nie panikuj! Contest for short films and graduation films by film school students: Honorable mentions:Kilka prostych słów, Próba mikrofonu, Edina Special awards:T. Rickster, Trójka do wzięcia, Galerianki Platinum Lions for his lifetime achievement:Jerzy Kawalerowicz "Złoty Klakier" Award:Pora umierać, director Dorota Kędzierzawska Journalists' awards:Pora umierać and Rezerwat Amber Lions (biggest cinema attendance):Testosteron Award of Organizers of Festivals and Polish Film Reviews Abroad:Sztuczki (for exceptional style and artistic consistency) Polish Filmmakers' Association Awards:Zygmunt Król (production director), Sylwester Chęciński (director), Irena Choryńska (film editing) Polish Filmmakers' Association Award for creative portrayal of contemporary society:Aleja Gówniarzy, director Piotr Szczepański Don Quixote Award (from Movie Discussion Clubs):Jutro idziemy do kina Friend of Polish Cinema (first such award by the Polish Film Institute):Łódź Mayor Jerzy Kropiwnicki and Wrocław Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz | |
| (The Warsaw Voice) | |
