TRANSITTIONS: RECENT POLISH CINEMA AT LINCOLN CENTER, NEW YORK.

26-08-2011

TRANSITTIONS: RECENT POLISH CINEMA AT LINCOLN CENTER, NEW YORK.

On the initiative of the Polish Film Institute two cultural institutions: the Film Society of Lincoln Center together with the Polish Cultural Institute of New York teamed for a week of contemporary Polish cinema from the last two years: Transitions: Recent Polish Cinema. With the maximum effort of the Polish Film Institute it took a year to organize the series that audience will get to chance to see between September 9 – 15. The series mark for the Polish Cinema the first time of being held by such a prestigious institution like Lincoln Center.

The line-up includes the best features from acclaimed Polish film directors as well as debutants, the best Polish shorts from the previous year, documentaries, animated works and a two film tribute of digitally restored prints featuring Zbigniew Cybulski from Janusz Morgenstern with Krzysztof Komeda’s music: Goodbye Until Tomorrow and Night Train.

The screenings of Suicide Room by Jan Komasa (Friday, Sept 9, 6:45 pm) and Mall Girls by Katarzyna Rosłaniec (Saturday, Sept 10, 9:10 pm) will be accompanied by the meeting with the directors. On September 10 at 5 pm there will be also the chance to meet Kamil Polak (Switez) and Bartek Kulas (Millhaven) during the shorts screenings.

LIST OF FILMS:

All That I Love (Wszystko co kocham), 2009

Director: Jacek Borcuch, Cast: Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Jakub Gierszał, Olga Frycz.

Spring of 1981. A wave of strikes sweeps through Poland. Communist authorities are trying to find ways of destroying “Solidarity” movement. Four 18-year-old kids in a seaside town form a punk rock band. Their leader Janek is the son of a prominent navy officer.

Festivals: Busan IFF 09//Sundance IFF 10 //Rotterdam IFF 10

Black Thursday (Czarny czwartek), 2011

Director: Antoni Krauze, Cast: Marta Honzatko, Michał Kowalski.

The story of workers' strikes in December 1970 that were met with a brutal reaction from the communist authorities. The film is based around a Gdynia shipyard worker named Brunon Drzywa, who died during the riots after having been shot in the back at a local train station.

Festivals: Montreal IFF 11

Erratum, 2010

Director: Marek Lechki, Cast: Tomasz Kot, Ryszard Kotys.

A few days before his son’s First Communion, Michał heads to his hometown. He has some business to attend to, and return home as soon as possible. When he gets there, it turns out that he will have to stay for a few days. While walking the town streets, he encounters people he used to be close with, visits familiar places. What started out as a trivial trip slowly turns into an emotional life journey.

Festivals: Warsaw IFF 10 // Busan 10 // Chicago Iff 10 // Thessaloniki 10

Mall Girls (Galerianki), 2009

Director: Katarzyna Rosłaniec, Cast: Anna Kaczmarczyk, Dagmara Krasowska, Dominika Gwit.

Milena and her friends are Middle school students. They enjoy spending time at the mall. They meet rich men, who give them presents in exchange for sex.

Festivals: Toronto IFF 10 // Banghkok IFF 09 //Cottbus IFF 2009 // Tallin IFF 09

Mother Teresa of Cats (Matka Teresa od kotów), 2009

Director: Paweł Sala, Cast: Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Filip Garbacz, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Ewa Skibińska.

A story inspired by real events. Two brothers brutally murder their cat-loving mother. This heinous crime serves as a pretext for pondering on the condition of the family in Poland. How is it possible that an average and seemingly normal family can suddenly be deprived of their chance for a normal life...

Festivals: Karlovy Vary IFF 10 // Tallin IFF 10 // Cottbus IFF 10 // Cairo IFF 10

Out of Love (Z miłości), 2011

Director: Anna Jadowska, Cast: Marta Nieradkiewicz, Wojciech Niemczyk, Daniel Olbrychski, Ewa Szykulska.

Ewelina and Piotr recently got married. Now they have a baby, but also constant financial difficulties. Piotr doesn’t have a steady job, nor has he any ideas for supporting his family. In a conversation with friends, Ewelina and Piotr learn that performing in a porn film is a fun and easy way to make quick money.

Suicide Room (Sala samobójców), 2010

Director: Jan Komasa, Cast: Jakub Gierszał, Roma Gąsiorowska, Agata Kulesza, Krzysztof Pieczyński.

Dominik, a high school student, is humiliated by his colleagues one too many times; he stops going to school and shuts himself in the virtual world. There he meets a girl who brings him into the “suicide room” an online place for people who, like Dominik, no longer want to live, or at least give off that impression.

Festivals: Berlin IFF 11 // Off Plus Camera in Krakow 11 // Polish Film Festival in Gdynia 11

Venice (Wenecja), 2010

Director: Jan Jakub Kolski, Cast: Magdalena Cielecka, Marcin Walewski, Agnieszka Grochowska.

A ten-tear-old boy dreams of going to Venice. But then the Second World War starts and his family hides him in the home of his aunts who build him a small Venice in the flooded basement. A coming-of-age story about love and courage.

Festivals: Montreal IFF 10 // Cottbus IFF 10 // Tallin IFF 10

SHORT FILMS

SWITEŹ, dir. Kamil Polak, 2011
GALERIA, dir. Robert Proch, 2010
SZELEST, dir. Leszek Korusiewicz, 2010
POROZMAWIAJ Z NIM, dir. Agata Prętka, 2010
POWROTY, dir. Krzysztof Kadłubowski, 2010
MILLHAVEN, dir. Bartek Kulas, 2010
PRZESŁUCHANIE, dic. Adam Palenta, 2010
PUSSYCAT, dir. Ola Jankowska, 2011