Still from Grzegorz Zariczny's "The Whistle"
The Whistle is on a roll, after its win in Sundance, at the International Film Festival in Vilnius and the Slovak Febiofest, the film is chosen as Best Short Film of the 10th edition of the International Festival of Documentary Films in Madrid - Documenta Madrid
The Whistle is a portrait of Marcin – a boy from a small town near Kraków. He is in no hurry to enter adult life. His reluctance meets with his mother’s disapproval. She expects him to make decisions and take action, specifically to find a better job and a wife. Marcin is trying to make it as a football referee. Every week at amateur matches he has to listen to rough comments and opinions about his work from players and fans.
The Madrid jury commented,
The film keeps the viewer’s attention thanks to a perfect usage of the cinematic language, its rhythm and sense of humour. It’s a universal story shown through the individual’s paths of copping with reality.
The Whistle received the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2013, it was awarded at the T-Mobile New Horizons Festival, the main prize of the Kino Pavaris Short Film competition Vilnius and Best Short Film Award at the Slovak Febio Fest Festival.
Grzegorz Zariczny was born in 1983 near Kraków. He left geography studies in 2005 to study directing at Śląsk University, and finished the documentary course at the Andrzej Wajda Master School, where he made the documentary Marysina Polana / The Dog Hill, which received domestic and international awards. The Whistle was made as part of the Andrzej Munk Studio's First Documentary programme, and has brought home awards from the New Horizons Film Festival 2012 and the Young and Film Festival 2012.
The Documenta Madrid Festival, running for 10 years and organised by the city of Madrid aims to promote documentary films. Presenting competitions, retrospectives and special screenings, Documenta provides an annual meeting place for professionals, creators, and the public.
Sources: based on the original Polish article by DB for culture.pl, Documenta, culture.pl, translated by MJ 17.05.2013