According to Diana Hasooni, one of the organizers of the event:
Polish film is experiencing a renaissance. There are many young directors who really deserve to be noticed.
The first edition of the review took place during the Värmlands Filmfestival in Arvice. The project was so well received by the Swedish audience that the decision was made to expand upon it. This time, a completely separate event dedicated only to Polish films created by young artists will be organised in Frilagret Cultural Centre. The Polish Film Feast's aim is to familiarise the audience with the best of contemporary Polish cinema. The films presented at the festival will portray everyday problems common to all people: a study of the break-up of a marriage, a portrayal of a father-son relationship, young provincial girls chasing their dreams, an alternative history from the times of the communist regime in Poland. Kinga Kozaczka, one of the organizers of the event, says:
Through this choice of films we want to change the stereotypical image of Poland and Poles; we are a country full of young and talented artists who describe reality in a very curious way. That's what we want to show to the Swedish audience.
Although the festival is meant to show the young spirit of Polish cinematography, it will also present some of the classics which shaped the country's modern cinema. After the short film screenings, Kaja Klimek, a film studies specialist, will give a special lecture about the Polish Film School. The organisers of the review are Szwedzki Stół Filmowy (Swedish Film Table) and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Entrance to all lectures and shows is free of charge.
Programme:
4 p.m. – Welcome, a word about the project, thanks.
4.15 p.m. – Fragments by Agnieszka Woszczyńska
Fragments is a compilation of tangentially connected scenes showing the break-up of a relationship and the destruction of a world to which a main female protagonist is still attached. Anna and her partner Adam have a prosperous, comfortable life. They've moved into a new apartment, have well-paid jobs, visit posh restaurants, have intense sex, and go jogging. However, their monotonous middle-class lifestyle with no way out has made Anna rot from the inside.
5.00 p.m. – America by Aleksandra Terpińska
A long time ago in America... two teenagers, Anka and Dżastina, dream about a better life. Bored with their day-to-day existence, the two inseparable friends try hitchhiking. An innocent adventure gradually changes into an emotional game where truth mixes with fiction. The following events change the relationship of the two friends forever, as well as their perspective on the whole world.
5.45 p.m. – Father and Son by Paweł Łoziński
They share a surname, perform the same the job with passion, and have a strong relationship full of resentments and understatements. Two outstanding documentary creators – Marcel and Paweł Łoziński – go on a trip across Europe by car. For the father, it is a journey to his birthplace, for the son – an attempt to settle their common past. Both try to record this difficult dialogue.
7.00 p.m. – Postcards From The Republic of The Absurd by Jan Holoubek
Postcards From The Republic of The Absurd shows Poland under the communist regime through a hidden camera. A Swede, Anna Sundgren, observes the surrounding world without any hope for a better tomorrow. This Orwellian documentary presents a Warsaw where block-spanning queues for basic products are the norm. This is a world where time has stopped and a utopian vision of socialism has taken root in the minds of Poles, who live from day to day without delusions about a better tomorrow. The film was co-produced by TVP, the National Audiovisual Institute, and TVP's Channel 2.
8.00 – Special guest lecture with Kaja Klimek, film studies specialist, about the Polish Film School.
9.00– Introduction to Andrzej Wajda's output.
9.30 – Innocent Sorcerers by Andrzej Wajda.
A 1960 film by Andrzej Wajda. This outstanding achievement in the director's output is an intimate tale about 30-something Varsovians in the style of New Wave.
More info about Frilagret Cultural Centre: www.frilagret.se