Afterimage is the final work of the recently deceased director Andrzej Wajda. Wajda, the great figure of Polish cinema, devoted his last picture to the outstanding painter Władyslaw Strzemiński. The director, who studied painting himself, had a special relation to this field of art. However, the film is, above all, a story of the last years of a man who tried to stay true to himself throughout his life.
The Last Family is a story of the family of another painter, Zdzisław Beksiński. The picture directed by Jan P. Matuszyński, appreciated in Poland and gaining recognition abroad, shows the difficult relationship between Zdzisław (Andrzej Seweryn) – one of the most famous and respected Polish artists, Tomek (Dawid Ogrodnik) – talented translator and radio journalist and Zofia (Aleksandra Konieczna) – Zdzisław’s wife and Tomek’s mother.
The festival also presented United States of Love directed by Tomasz Wasilewski. The film tells the story of four women and their unhappy relationships. This cold study of complex emotions has already gained the recognition of international critics.
The fourth Polish film shown at the IFFK was Strange Heaven directed by Dariusz Gajewski. It is a story of a Polish couple living in the north of Sweden, whose daughter is taken away from them by a social worker due to a misunderstanding. The desperate parents have to face the bureaucratic machine.
The producers of Strange Heaven took part in the festival as its guests, talking about their film and participating in panel discussions.
Screenings:
- United States of Love: 10th, 11th, 16th December 2016
- Afterimage: 13th, 14th, 15th December 2016
- The Last Family: 10th, 14th December 2016
- Strange Heaven: 10th December 2016