Michael York as Jonghelinck in Lech J. Majewski's "The Mill and the Cross"
At Hollywood's legendary Egyptian Theatre, Polish and American filmmakers walk the red carpet at a star-studded gala which kicks off the 13th edition of the Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles. With an award gala honouring directors and films, the ten day long celebration presents a wide portrait of Polish features, documentaries, animations and shorts
In recognition for his role in The Mill and the Cross and his cooperation with its Polish director, Michael York is the 2012 recipient of the Pola Negri award. Lech J. Majewski’s film is based on Pieter Bruegel's 16th Century painting The Procession to Calvary and is set in Flanders in the year 1563. In the movie, Michael York stars alongside Charlotte Rampling and Rutger Hauer in a recreation of the panoramic landscape of the time of Christ. The Piotr Łazarkiewicz Award for young talent went to Paul Wasilewski, professionally known as Paul Wesley, an up-and-coming actor of Polish origin.
Alluding to the modern day duplicity between the acceptance of the manifestation of the individual and the drive to create virtual images and illusion of oneself, Jan Komasa’s depiction of the lost soul of the successful teenager Dominik in Suicide Room wins the Hollywood Eagle Award for best feature film. In the Short Films category, Aleksandra Terpińska’s presentation of Lena’s failed attempt to reconnect with her father, All Soul's Day takes home the main award.
Among the 50 something screenings, all of which are listed below, Dorota Kędzierzawska’s story about the courage and endurance of three young homeless boys who decide to take matters in their own hands and escape the bowels of a railway station in a Russian city puts forth the topic of relentless struggles for a better life. Inspired by a real story, in Tomorrow Will be Better, the filmmaker painted the strength of will of Pietia, Wasia who wanted to change something in their lives. "I know that many of us hope that somewhere there is a better, or more beautiful reality" Kędzierzawska says. In Paweł Wysoczański’s documentary, Daniel, a pimply teenager who is in a bad mood half the time and hates school takes the first steps towards getting away from his hometown – Lipiny, allegedly Poland’s poorest city. Mixing documentary with stages scenes when Daniel films kids and grownups talking about their dreams, We Will be Happy One Day wins the Polish Film Festival’s Hollywood Eagle Documentary Award.
Escaping reality takes on a different meaning in another Festival films, when directors let their imagination do its best and bring to life the made up world of children. In the Flying Machine, Anna’s desperate longing to see her father again takes her on a thrilling journey across Europe. When a broken piano magically transforms into a Flying Machine, it follows the wonders and passion of Chopin's life. The film is an ambitious combination of 3D and live-action animation produced by Hugh Welchman, producer of Academy Award-winning Peter & The Wolf and starring acclaimed Chinese pianist Hang Lang and American actress Heather Graham.
The Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles is organised by the Polish American Film Society and screenings take place at the Laemmle's NoHo 7 and at the Village Theater in Orange Country.
Film programme (links to trailers):
Features:
Jan Komasa - Suicide Room
Greg Zglinski – Courage
Dorota Kedzierzawska – Tomorrow Will be Better
Barbara Sass - In the Name of the Devil
Filip Marczewski – Shameless
Leszek Dawid – My Name is Ki
Małgorzata Szumowska - Elles
Harmony Korine, Alexey Fedorchenko, Jan Kwiecinski – The Fourth Dimension
Marek Koterski – Man, Chicks are Just Different
Wiktor Skrzynecki - Felix, Net and Nika and the Theoretically Possible Catastrophe
Waldemar Krzystek – 80 Million
Lech J. Majewski – The Mill and the Cross
Psychological drama:
Przemysław Wojcieszek – Secret
Portraits:
Andrzej Wajda – Korczak
Rafal Mierzejewski – Depression Mon Amour
Anna Plutecka-Mesjasz – Lose to Win
Historical drama:
Wojciech Smarzowski – Rose
Romantic comedy:
Mitja Okorn - Letters to St.Nicholas
Animated films:
Dorota Kobiela – The Flying Machine
Katarzyna Wilk – Bear Me
Arkadiusz Jurcan – The Canon of Polish Fairytales
Tessa Moult-Milewska – The Designer
Adela Kaczmarek – The Full Sun
Robert Proch – The Gallery
Marcin Janiec – The Game
Kacper Shikeli – Good News Bad News
Dorota Kobiela – Little Postman
Paweł Dębski – Lumberjack
Marta Szymanska – Oranges
Piotr Szczepanowicz – The Railway Watchman
Przemyslaw Anusiewicz – Scarecrow
Piotr Loc Hoang Ngoc – Steve and the Beatle
Documentary:
Małgorzata Imielska – Surviving Afghanistan
Daniel Whidden – The Change
Martin Rath – Written in Ink
Filip Jacobson – Walk
Leo Kantor – Redcurrants
Paweł Wysoczański - We Will be Happy One Day
Jakub Polakowski – Control Sample
Jakub Cuman – The Contest
Adam Palenta – Interogation
Marcin Latałło – Behind the Poster
Marcin Gizycki – Alfred Schreyer from Drohobycz
Tomasz Magierski – Blinky&Me
Animated documentary:
Anca Damian – Crulic The Path to Beyond
Shorts:
Malwina Sworczuk – Where is Harry??
Piotr Złotorowicz – Normal People
Grzegorz Jaroszuk – Frozen Stories
Aleksander Pietrzak – Silence
Alex Maleski – Without a Shadow
Benjamin Hjelm – The Golden Age
Aleksandra Szczepanowska – Naked Soles
Aleksandra Terpińska - All Souls' Day
Sylwester Jakimow – Amigos Forever
Andrzej Stopa – Katowice
Janek Ambros – Closing Bell
Sources: Polish Film Festival Los Angeles, culture.pl
Editor: Marta Jazowska