Jakimowski made Sztuczki / Tricks according to his own screenplay and dedicated the film to his sister. At the opening of the 23rd Warsaw International Film Festival, the director said
We focused on simplicity and as little stylisation as possible. ... It's a personal film, it's about me, my feelings, people close to my heart. Many of the events were taken straight from my life. I have shown people I remember and people I see in the streets today...
The film is set in Wałbrzych, Lower Silesia. The main characters are not very well-off people living in the city's poor districts. Six-year-old Stefek and his teenage sister Elka are being brought up by their single mother. Their father abandoned the family some years ago, leaving Stefek and Elka's mother for another woman. Stefek would like his father to come back. The boy has no intention of waiting passively to see what time brings. Through little bribes, tricks, he decides to "charm" fate - to make it look favourably on his wishes, getting things to go according to Stefek's plans.
Jakimowski's film carries the certainty that in the world of the protagonists, the most secret dreams can come true and the purest taste of life can be found. There is no brutality or violence in this world, no drunkenness or other pathologies, on the other hand there is a sizable amount of freedom, opportunities to gain a deeper insight into how this world works, trust, kindness, joy, and a sense of humour.
The director had no qualms about giving the leading parts to amateurs, allowing the film to celebrate authenticity, spontaneity, and the uniqueness of its characters. The cast includes Damian Ul as Stefek, amateur actress Ewelina Walendziak as Elka, and Rafał Guźniczak who appeared in Squint Your Eyes, as well as professional actors, to mention Tomasz Sapryk, Joanna Liszowska, Iwona Fornalczyk, Jerzy Golejewski, Krzysztof Ławniczak, Marzena Sztuka.
The film had its world premiere at the 64th International Festival in Venice where it won the Europa Cinema Award for Best European Film. It also received the Golden Lions for Best Film at the 32nd Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. The film was also a Polish nominee for the Academy Award in the foreign language category.
Awards:
- Europa Cinema Award for Best European Film at the International Film Festival in Venice;
- UNICEF Award for Andrzej Jakimowski at the International Film Festival in Venice;
- Grand Prix - Golden Lions Jury Main Prize and the award of the - Association of Foreign Organizers of Polish Film Festivals for Andrzej Jakimowski at the 32nd Polish Film Festival in Gdynia;
- Award for Best Cinematography for Adam Bajerski at the 32nd Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
- Sztuczki / Tricks, Poland 2007. Screenplay and director: Andrzej Jakimowski, cinematography: Adam Bajerski, music: Tomasz Gąssowski, set design: Ewa Jakimowska, costumes: Aleksandra Staszko, sound: Maria Chilarecka, editing: Cezary Grzesiuk, production manager: Mariusz Mielczarek. Cast: Damian Ul (Stefek), Ewelina Walendziak (Elka, Stefek's sister), Tomasz Sapryk (Stefek and Elka's father), Rafał Guźniczak (Jerzy), Iwona Fornalczyk (Stefek and Elka's mother), Joanna Liszowska (Violka), Andrzej Golejewski (homeless guy with cart), Grzegorz Stelmaszewski (Turek), Simeone Matarelli (Leone), Krzysztof Ławniczak (tipsy man with briefcase), Roman Baranowicz (Pigiel), Katarzyna Kołeczek (girl from bar), Dorota Wierzbicka-Matarelli (cleaning shop assistant), Krystyna Dmochowska (snooty shop assistant), Maciej Stępniak (Zbyszek), Julia Mańkowska (office receptionist), Dariusz Bronowicki (assistant), Mieczysław Dziekański (Pytel), Lidia Michaluszek (bar manager), Aleksandra Żaczek (waitress), Andrzej Łanczont (man with apples), Marzena Sztuka (Violka's mother), Krzysztof Bucki, Lech Dyblik (man in the street), Włodzimierz Dyła, Aleksander Janiszewski, Jerzy Pal, Juliusz Rodziewicz, Zbigniew Szymczyk (conductor; listed in credits as: Szymczak), Mariusz Sudenis, Krzysztof Tysnarzewski, Anna Walkowiak, Jan Węglowski, Hanna Zbyryt. Producer: Andrzej Jakimowski, production: Zjednoczenie Artystów i Rzemieślników, Documentary and Feature Film Studio (WFDiF), Telewizja Polska, Canal+ Cyfrowy, Opus Film, in association with: Sephia, Adam Production, Jakimowski Film Studio. Co-financed by: Polish Film Institute. Length: 95 min. Released on 26 October 2007.
Thumbnail credit: Film Still, photo: Miami Film Festival 2008