What were the habits and customs of Poles like in socialist times? What sorts of observations could a Voodoo shaman from Haiti have about communist Poland in the era of martial law? What do Voodoo rituals have in common with the regime of General Jaruzelski?
The latest documentary from Oscar-nominated directors Bartek Konopka and Piotr Rosołowski presents a playful depiction of a clash of cultures. Art of Disappearing examines the more intimate aspects of freedom during a time of political oppression. When a newcomer from the New World takes a look at Poland in 1980, he sees a lot more than the average Pole was able to see. Were Poles really among the most miserable nations in the world? If so then why did their hearts blaze so brightly in matters related to love and romance? Amon's mystical gaze reveals many surprising aspects of the Polish soul.
In the early eighties, the great theatre reformer Jerzy Grotowski brought a group of Haitian players to Poland. Among them was the young Voodoo priest Amon. Amon has Polish blood running through his veins - his ancestors were soldiers of the Polish legion from the times of Napoleon. They settled in the New World at the beginning of the 19th Century. Amon is fascinated by the land of his forefathers and decides to remain a while longer to get to know his ancestral home. Then he realises his mission is also to open the hearts and minds of the Poles.
When martial law bears down on Polish society on December 13, 1981, Amon conducts a series of rituals aimed at chasing evil spirits out of the soul of General Jaruzelski. The priest is certain that the stiff posture of the General and his bloodshot eyes are a sign that his soul has been infiltrated by a particularly evil demon, the Baron Samedi.
Bartek Konopka and Piotr Rosołowski form an exceptionally talented duo of today's generation of young Polish cinema. Their 2009 documentary debut "Rabbit à la Berlin" won a number of international film awards and was nominated for an Oscar in 2010. The film takes a humorous look at the history of wild rabbits stuck in the no man's land between the two foundations of the Berlin wall. With no predators to disrupt their day-to-day existence, they live a carefree life as the population expands, undeterred for over 28 years. Until the day the wall is toppled and the rabbits must once again face up to the harsh realities of urban life.
Their new documentary, produced as part of the Guide to the Poles series, adopts a novel technique for posing questions about the Polish soul under the oppressive weight of the socialist authorities, manipulated by outside powers, trapped within the confines of mental and cultural oppression which they have submitted to. In spite of all this, as the 'Polish Voodoo Priest' surmises, Poles are a nation capable of maintaining an optimistic outlook, of opening their hearts and enjoying life.
Art of Disappearing
Production: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, 2011
Screenplay and direction: Bartek Konopka, Piotr Rosołowski
The film is part of the Guide to the Poles - a series of documentary films produced within the framework of the International Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency 2011
