Director of well-known and award-winning films: An Unmarried Woman (1978), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Enemies: A Love Story (1989) was born in New York, in the family of Jewish immigrants from Russia. He started his performing in school, as a young man he appeared on TV and in off-Broadway productions and attended to Lee Strasberg's school. His screen debut came in 1953 in Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire. In the sixties he started successful career as a scriptwriter and film director. Over next years Mazursky was working with many exquisite actors and actresses: Alan Bates, Jill Clayburgh, Robin Williams, Anjelica Huston, Lena Olin, Donald Sutherland, Malgorzata Zajaczkowska (Margaret Sophie Stein) and even... Woody Allen.
Paul Mazursky's name is especially significant for Polish cinemagoers, as American filmmaker was the one who put up Andrzej Wajda as a candidate for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award.
At the opening evening of the 49th Krakow Film Festival, Paul Mazursky will present his latest documentary film Yippee! A Journey to Jewish Joy - fascinating, humorous tale about the pilgrimage of Hassid Jews from all over the world to Uman, the city in Ukraine, where the gravesite of Hassidic movement reviver, Nachman of Breslov, is located. That region occurs to be director's grandfather's birthplace, what makes the realization of the film sentimental and symbolic journey home for Mazursky
Mazursky, laic Jew from Beverly Hills, is trying to decipher the phenomenon of the cult, which every year brings about 25.000 men to the mass expression of spiritual ecstasy. Director is a guide, towards his brothers in faith he often acts like a goy asking simple questions - what payos is for, why Jews swing while praying. Nonetheless Paul Mazursky occurs to be a polite interviewer, driven by the desire of getting known and understand the religious and cultural phenomenon. His meetings with Hassid Jews and Uman's non-Jews are full of joy and enthusiasm for life and people.
During his visit in Krakow Paul Mazursky will be accompanied by Jeff Kanew - American director, scriptwriter, editor and producer. Thanks to his effort as an editor Yippee! is so dynamic and filled with the ‘electricity'.
49th Krakow Film Festival will take place between 29th May - 4th June and it's leitmotiv, especially in sections presenting feature-lenght documentaries (competition, Krakow Documentary Premieres, Sounds of the Music, Roots) will be a journey as a source of cognition and reconciliation, subject of dreams and fascinations, but also journey as a dramatic return after years.
From 2nd April onwards on Festival official website http://www.kff.com.pl/ accreditation forms for press and industry are available. Also information about tickets and festival cards for public is given.
Contact for media:
Anna E. Dziedzic
PR Manager
Krakow Film Festival
Tel: +4812 294 69 45
Mobile: +48 696 448 795
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