Leave No Traces is a political thriller set in 1983 and based on the real-life story of Grzegorz Przemyk, a high school student beaten to death by the militia. The film follows the story of his friend Jurek, the only witness of the beating, who became the number one enemy of the state overnight.
The main characters are played by Tomasz Ziętek, Sandra Korzeniak, Jacek Braciak, Agnieszka Grochowska and Mateusz Górski.
Leave No Traces is produced by Aurum Film and coproduced by Les Contes Modernes (France), Background Films (Czech Republic), Arte France Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes-Cinéma, Canal+, Magiclab, and the Czech Television, as well as the Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission.
It was supported by the Polish Film Institute, Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, and the Czech Film Fund. The film had its international premiere in the main competition of the 78th Venice Film Festival (1-11 September 2021), where it won the Biasto d'Oro Award.
“When the film took shape as a Polish/Czech/French coproduction with a lot of French participation, I had the feeling that it was a big deal. Later, when a very significant French distributor appeared and the film was already in the editing stage, I thought it was a success. There are a lot of films that have been successful, but it was only years later that someone found out that they were cool. When the decision to participate in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival was announced, we took it as a final confirmation of the quality of the work we had done. I am happy because I know that I am giving my film to the world in a unique place”, director Jan P. Matuszyński commented after the Venice premiere.
The film will open in Polish cinemas on 24 September 2021 and it has already been sold into regular distribution by New Europe Film Sales to Benelux, Lithuania and France.
Production Information:
Producer:
Aurum Film (Poland)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducers:
Les Contes Modernes (France)
Background Films (Czech Republic)
Arte France Cinéma (France)
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes-Cinéma (France)
Canal+
Magiclab (Czech Republic)
Czech Television (Czech Republic)
Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission (Poland)
Credits:
Director: Jan P. Matuszyński
Screenwriter: Kaja Krawczyk-Wnuk
DoP: Kacper Fertacz
Cast: Sandra Korzeniak, Tomasz Ziętek, Agnieszka Grochowska, Aleksandra Konieczna, Mateusz Górski, Jacek Braciak, Sebastian Pawlak, Robert Więckiewicz