26/06/2006

Parę osób, mały czas (A Few People, A Little Time) by Andrzej Barański, selected in official competition at the upcoming Karlovy Vary festival (see news June 19), is not the only Polish film that will be accessible to Czech audiences.

The East of the West section features two other Polish productions, Rozdroże café (Crossroads Cafe) by Leszek Wosiewicz (see news November 11, 2005) and Ode To Joy by Anna Kazejak-Dawid, Jan Komasa and Maciej Migas. Both films, each with very different styles, depict the moral dramas of its characters who, finding it difficult to cope in modern-day Polish society, attempt to escape and seek happiness "elsewhere". While Wosiewicz’s characters try to free themselves from moral corruption, slander and violence, the three stories that make up Ode To Joy depict portraits of young Poles who – fed-up with and frustrated by the lack of opportunities in their own country – choose to emigrate.

Both films were highly acclaimed by the jury at the 2005 Gydnia Polish Film Festival, with Wosiewicz winning a Best Director and Best Editing (with Krzysztof Raczyński) awards, while the collective production by Migas, Komasa and Kazejak picked up the Special Jury Prize (see news September 19, 2005).

Alongside these three Polish titles at Karlovy Vary is Dorota Kędzierzawska’s recent production I Am; see interview). The film – photographed by Arthur Reinhart and whose score was composed by Michael Nyman – was awarded a Special Mention from the International Jury at this year’s 29th Berlin Film Festival in the Kinderfilmfest sidebar. It will be presented in the Variety Critics’ Choice section at Karlovy Vary.

(Translated from French)