The film from Aleksandra Gowin and Ireneusz Grzyb is a story about the young generation, told subtly, without excessive drama. One of the most interesting debuts of Polish cinema in 2014.
Little Crushes is a tale about three young people. Asia (a fine role from Helena Sujecka) and Kasia (Agnieszka Pawełkiewicz) share an apartment in one of the Łódź’s housing estates. They drive around the city in an old, shabby car – they occupy themselves with helping people move houses and collecting discarded furniture (for renovation and sale). There comes a day when a third person enters their lives – Piotr (Szymon Czacki), who has been abandoned by his wife and fired from a box factory.
In their world, everything is a little bit odd – the young protagonists seem lost in the everyday reality, as well as in their interactions, emotional barriers, and psychological experiments they carry out on themselves.
Embeded gallery style
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The film’s directors seem to draw inspiration from the Czech director Petr Zelenka and from the Sundance classics about inconspicuous weirdos, and spice it up with magical realism straight from Andrzej Jakimowski’s Tricks.
The image of Łódź they present is indeed reminiscent of Jakimowski’s town of Wałbrzych – filled with rugged buildings, filthy old-fashioned apartments, and frowsty storage rooms. In this ordinary, grey reality, one can encounter something special only by interacting with others.
The soundtrack for the film was composed by Enchanted Hunters.
Little Crushes -Directed and edited by Aleksandra Gowin, Ireneusz Grzyb. Script: Ireneusz Grzyb. Cinematography: Ita Zbroniec-Zajt. Set decoration: Dorota Borkowska. Costume design: Ilona Urbańska-Grzyb. Music: Enchanted Hunters. Starring: Helena Sujecka, Agnieszka Pawełkiewicz, Szymon Czacki, Arkadiusz Jakubik. Produced by: Koi Studio. Distributed by: Alter Ego Pictures. Polish premiere: September 5, 2014.
Awards:
2014
- Debut Film Festival ‘Young and Cinema’, Koszalin for Ita Zbroniec-Zajt (cinematography)
- Debut Film Festival ‘Young and Cinema’, Koszalin – Youth Jury Award and Journalists’ Award
- Espinho (Festival Novos Cineastas ‘Fest’) – Honourary Mention in the feature films competition
Bartosz Staszczyszyn, 22.07.2014, translated by AM, 5.08.2014