Blinded by the Lights – a TV revelation
Having shot Hardkor Disko, Skonieczny kept working intensely. In 2016 the director, along with Jacqueline Sobiszewski created the experimental film Limbs of Sun for the Polish National Audiovisual Institute. At the 16th International New Horizons Film Festival the piece received an award for best music video. At that time, Skonieczny was already working on his next project – the TV series Blinded by the Lights, based on the novel by Jakub Żulczyk. The director’s fascination with the story of a Warsaw-based drug dealer gave rise to one of Poland’s most popular contemporary TV series.
The show premiered in December 2018 on HBO. It was unlike any other Polish TV series – Skonieczny told a brutal story using beautiful cinematography by Michał Englert, one of Poland’s most famous cinematographers. The score by Marcin Masecki and Mirt was certainly one of the best in the recent history of Polish cinema.
Skonieczny did not hesitate to make brave artistic decisions. The main role was not given to a professional actor. Instead, he cast Saful – a rapper. Although this choice was criticised by a large part of the audience, the show was a spectacular success nevertheless. Certainly, the incredible supporting roles of Jan Frycz, Robert Więckiewicz, and… Skonieczny himself contributed to the triumph of Blinded by the Lights.
In 2020, HBO Poland invited Skonieczny to take part in the project At Home. He titled his segment Ukryj Mnie w Samolocie Lecącym do Marakeszu (Hide Me on a Plane Headed to Marrakesh, trans. NS). In his short, Skonieczny created a post-apocalyptic world using old video materials and a poetic voiceover. The film was distinct for its sense of humour and clever recycling of old footage.