Polish Documentaries 2006/2007

Polish Documentaries 2006/2007

Polish Documentaries 2006/2007 1

2 Polish Documentaries 2006/2007

3 Documentary film has equal importance to feature production in being an integral part of Polish cinema tradition, thus one of the priorities of the Polish Film Institute is to further encourage the production of documentary films and in 2007, the Institute will allocate 4.5 million PLN to this media genre. Nowadays, documentary cinema largely belongs to the domain of television where it readily reaches a mass network audience. The Polish Film Institute however, is convinced of universal appeal of factual film and puts a particular emphasis on supporting documentary films which are primarily intended for cinema release. We wish to restore Polish documentaries to a place in cinema repertoires that they occupied in former years, with their power to move, to disturb and above all to give a constructive and universal testimony to present times. With great pleasure we offer you this catalogue of selected Polish documentary film from the years 2006-2007. Many of them have garnered awards at international festivals while others are just beginning their public showing, but they all undoubtedly share a common feature; they depict man amidst his surrounding world, in an astute, thorough and wise manner. Polish Documentaries 2006/2007 Agnieszka Odorowicz General Director Polish Film Institute

4 Life, Death, and Other Oddments 5 33 Reflections on the most important problems of human existence. Death, love, family, freedom, dedication to others, drugs, disease, fighting for oneself. Common and uncommon problems the most important. Little Worlds Protagonists living in their own worlds, their little homelands, absorbed in their own business and emotions. In the dregs or in the middle? Polish Documentaries 2006/2007 Postcards from a Journey 42 51 Journeys to the other worlds, near and remote: to Moscow, Siberia and Japan as well as the world of Silesian exotic dancers... History Lesson: Portraits and Events History reflected in human lots. Great characters and ordinary people tangled in the course of events which fill in the pages of school textbooks.

5 Life, Death, and Other Oddments Polish Documentaries 2006/2007

6 4 proposals 4 oferty matrymonialne Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Magnus Arnesen Awards: cinematography Roman Chałupnik editing Grzegorz Habryn sound design Marek Knaga produced by PWSFTViT, ul. Targowa 61/63, 90-323 Łódź, phone +48 42 634 58 20, fax +48 42 634 59 28, e-mail swzfilm@filmschool.lodz.pl, www.filmschool.lodz.pl co-financing Polish Film Institute mini DV, 16:9, colour, stereo, 23 min.v "Łodzią po Wiśle" Review, Warsaw 2007: Audience Award Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection T he portraits of four lonely people who are trying to find their life partners. What do they expect? What do they have to offer? How they imagine happiness?

13 lat i 10 miesięcy 13 Years and 10 Months 7 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Jennifer Malmqvist cinematography Kate Mc Cullough editing Cecylia Pacura sound design Iga Stankiewicz produced by PWSFTViT ul. Targowa 61/63, 90-323 Łódź, phone +48 42 634 58 20, fax +48 42 634 59 28, e-mail swzfilm@filmschool.lodz.pl, www.filmschool.lodz.pl producer Andrzej Bednarek co-financing Polish Film Institute 35 mm, colour, stereo, 9 min Festivals:.Svenska Bilder Goteborg Film Festival, Sveden. Łodzią po Wiśle Review, Warsaw 2007.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection nastazja is almost 14 years old. Her family Acomes from Belarus, they arrived to Poland seven years ago. When Anastazja was five, she has been diagnosed with mucoviscidosis. The illness is constantly present in her life. The girl recounts how does she cope with her incurable disease and the prospect of dying.

8 Beyond The Wall Po tamtej stronie Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Vita Zelakeviciute ˇ Festivals: cinematography Józef Szymura music Paweł Szymański produced by Drygas Production, ul. Dzika 19/23, 00-172 Warsaw, phone +48 22 651 50 58, e-mail mvfilm@reporter.edu.pl, for Polish Television, 1 st Programme, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 88 91, fax +48 22 547 42 42, e-mail anna.kowalewska-onaszkiewicz@waw.tvp.pl producer Maciej Drygas Betacam SP, colour, 4:3, stereo, 20 min Poland 2007.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition and International Competition official selection alking area, work at the tailor s workshop, Waustere meal, daily intake of medicines taken under the watchful eye of medical staff, cell crowded to the limit a day like any other. With no needless words. Moving story of Russian prisoners sent to psychiatric prison hospital to serve their sentence. Film was made in Chernyakhovsk (Kaliningrad Oblast) and Sychovka (Smolensk Oblast).

Constellations Konstelacje 9 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Marcin Latałło Festivals: cinematography Marcin Latałło, Sławomir Bergański, Jędrzej Niestrój music Antoni Łazarkiewicz editing Jaromir Dziewic, Marcin Latałło sound design Marcin Latałło, Andrzej Kowal, Denis Streichardt produced by Eureka Media, ul. Smulikowskiego 13/10, 00-384 Warsaw, phone +48 22 828 48 10, fax +48 22 829 56 73, e-mail eureka@ntcm.com.pl, www.eurekamedia.info producer Krzysztof Kopczyński co-financing Polish Film Institute Betacam SP, colour, 4:3, stereo, 52 min.off Cinema, Poznań;."Man in Danger", Łódź;.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 T he method of family arrangements (constellations) by Bert Hellinger is an ultra-short therapy with the participation of audience. Hellinger s method is considered the most important discovery within the field of psychotherapy for last hundred years, different than the usual humbug. During the film we meet some on the participants of Hellinger s workshops German and Polish, later we accompany them in the arrangement.

10 Cripple_38 Kaleka_38 Life, Death, and Other Oddments directed and written by Adam Leniec cinematography Tomasz Nowak music Robert Friedrich, Marcin Pospieszalski, SNOWMEN band editing Mateusz Rogala sound design Leopold Komuszyna produced by Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing, ul. Chełmska 21, bld. 24; 00-724 Warsaw, Poland, phone +48 22 851 10 56, phone/fax +48 22 851 10 57; e-mail info@wajdaschool.pl, www.wajdaschool.pl producer Katarzyna Ślesicka production manager Agata Rappe production co-operation Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Młodych Twórców VITRIOL and Katarzyna Leniec Betacam SP, 4:3, colour, stereo, 28 min T he story of a man trapped in his own body. His life consists of constant battle with himself. Marek has had cerebral palsy. He moves and speaks with great difficulty yet he constantly fights for love, dignity, and for his right to live normal life. His maturity and urge to live are truly impressive.

Cu... Cu... Coo's Egg Ku... ku... kułcze jajo 11 Life, Death, and Other Oddments directed by Paweł Popko Awards: written by Aleksandra Maślanka cinematography Wojciech Todorow, Tomasz Sobański music Michał Litwiniec editing Marek Żemojta sound design Marek Łacny produced by Media Brigade, ul. Pirenejska 9/7, 50-574 Wrocław, phone +48 71 799 14 51, fax +48 71 799 14 50, e-mail marcin@mediabrigade.pl for Polish Television 1 st Programme producer Marcin Kurek, Sylwester Banaszkiewicz Betacam SP, colour, 16:9, stereo, 23 min G racjan - handicapped 18 year-old abandoned by his mother, along with his brother lands up in town s doss-house. Their mother sold their apartment and left to Germany to live with her new partner. Gracjan s openness and joie do vivre win him the favour of miserable shelter s inhabitants. Yet Gracjan s adaptation to new conditions is difficult and there is nothing to foreshadow solving problems of this young man forlorn by his family and ineffective State s institutions..13th International Independent Film Festival "Publicism 2006": 2 nd Prize;.Bartoszki Film Festival, Tarnobrzeg 2006: 2 nd Prize;.39 th Józef Milka International Amateur Film Festival "Pol-8", Polanica Zdrój 2006, 1 st Prize;.Polish Award of Independent Film "Offskar 2007" for the Best Documentary; Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection

12 The Existence Istnienie Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Marcin Koszałka Awards: cinematography Marcin Koszałka, Adam Nocoń, Maciej Tomaszek music Zygmunt Konieczny editing Anna Wagner produced by HBO Polska, ul. Puławska 17, 02-515 Warsaw, phone +48 22 852 88 00, fax +48 22 852 88 02, e-mail krak@hbo.pl, www.hbo.pl producer Krzysztof Rak executive produced by OTO Film Poland, ul. Puławska 22, 02-564 Warsaw, phone +48 22 542 86 86, fax +48 22 542 86 87, e-mail studio@otofilm.pl, www.otofilm.pl co-financing Polish Film Institute 16 mm, colour, 69 min Poland 2007.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 Full-length Documentary Competition: Audience Award G reat actor from Kraków Jan Nowak is struggling with a terminal disease. The documentary is the account of becoming familiar with the prospect of dying and proudly preparing for the death to come. The protagonist is not indifferent about the posthumous lot of his body which he devised to the Medical Academy for the scientific experiments. Fully aware and reconciled to what is to come he talks to his lawyer and his friends.

Gruba do łóżka, chuda na bal... The Fat to Bed, the Slim to the Ball... 13 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Konrad Szołajski Festivals: music Dariusz Żebrowski editing Hanna Kłoskowska sound design Marcin Ejsmunt produced by Polish Television, 1 st Programme, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 81 25, e-mail barbara.pawlowska@waw.tvp.pl producer Agnieszka Janowska co-financing Polish Film Institute Digital Beta, colour, 16:9, stereo, 50 min T itle ascertainment is the sentence frequently spoken by the film female protagonists who try to settle down in a society that hardly stand otherness. The women find help in the website XL-pozytywnie. pl, run by one of happy fluffies. Her website is an unconventional guide for fat people. It contains formulas regarding all fields of life from fashion and health to recreation and sex..media Festival "Man in Danger", Łódź 2007: official selection;.polish Film Art Festival "Prowincjonalia", Września 2007: official selection;.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection

14 The Flow Spływ Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Jan Komasa cinematography Małgorzata Szyłak, Jan Komasa editing Bartek Pietras PSM music Antoni Łazarkiewicz sound design Michał Muzyka produced by HandMade Pictures, ul. Macedońska 74, 02-761 Warsaw, phone +48 601 45 62 04, +48 22 642-68-09 e-mail bartek@handmadepics.com producer Bartek Pietras Betacam Digital, colour, 1.33:1, stereo, 81 min Poland 2007 Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 Full-length Documentary Competition documentary tale about canoe trip of Ateenagers who are treated against their addictions. Extreme conditions and being apart from civilization force the participants to overcome their own limits and to reveal mostly painful truth about themselves.

Wolność jest darem Boga Freedom Is a God-Given Gift 15 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Cezary Ciszewski cinematography Cezary Ciszewski editing Dariusz Cieszkowski sound design Błażej Kukla artistic supervisor Andrzej Titkow produced by Polish Television Film Agency for 1 st Programme, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 88 91, fax +48 22 547 42 42, mobile +48 601 600 938, ryszard.urbaniak@waw.tvp.pl, anna.kowalewska-onaszkiewicz@waw.tvp.pl producer Ryszard Urbaniak DV, colour, 4:3, stereo, 52 min C ezary Ciszewski, television and radio reporter, author of many documentaries and reportages, has spend half a year with the heroin addicts in an abandoned house in the very centre of Warsaw. Making a chronicle of their life, he did not realize that he was also making a story of his own collapse. The result is the shocking document of the participating observation the diary from the narcotic hell, showing how normal this world is when you look at it from the inside, and how easy it is to become part of it. Awards:.Media Festival "Man in Danger" Łódź 2006: Honorary Diploma; Opus Film Award;.Polish Film Art Festival "Prowincjonalia", Września 2007, Jańcio Wodnik for the Best Documentary;.47th Kraków Film Festival 2007: National Competition Srebrny Lajkonik for the Best Documentary

16 Got It? Masz już to? Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Andrzej Titkow Festivals: cinematography Jacek Petrycki music India Czajkowska editing Paweł Deliś sound design Jędrzej Niestrój, Jacek Gołąb produced by Rebecca Studio, ul Dzielna 6/21, 00-162 Warsaw, phone/fax +48 22 635 35 69, mobile +49 601 28 30 79, e-mail buhl.violetta@egonet.pl, Polish Television, 2 nd Programme, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw producers Violetta Buhl, Krzysztof Lang co-financing Polish Film Institute Digital Beta, colour & black and white, stereo, 40 min I n year 1988 Andrzej Titkow directed the documentary Give It To Me which was the recording of a workshop run by an outstanding psychotherapist Wojciech Eichelberger. The protagonists of the documentary were the participants of a group process. They dramatically revealed their extreme emotions, unsolved problems and hidden conflicts. In the film Got It? the director comes back to his protagonists. He asks them who are they now, what they do, how their lives went on. Do they already have what they were so determined to strive for nineteen years ago..47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition

Hospital Klinika 17 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Tomasz Wolski Awards: cinematography Tomasz Wolski editing Tymek Wiskirski sound design Bartosz Mleczko, Robert Buczkowski artistic supervisor Jacek Bławut produced by Centrala Ltd., Odyńca 59/14, 02-644 Warsaw, mobile +48 693 95 02 01, fax +48 22 646 62 73, e-mail aga.j@plusnet.pl producer Agnieszka Janowska co-financing Polish Film Institute DV, colour, 30 min T he Collective portrait of patients and doctors from the Internal Diseases Clinic in Cracow. The film presents the microcosm of the elderly people for whom the hospital becomes their second home..46 th Kraków Film Festival National Contest: Special Mention;.6 th International Film Festival "Era Nowe Horyzonty" Wrocław 2006 Documentary Contest: First Prize;.1 st Film Festival "Wakacyjne kadry" Cieszyn 2006: Golden Scissors for the Best Film Editing Tymek Wiskirski.Summer Festival of Independent Cinema "Filmowa Góra", Zielona Góra 2006: Grand Jury Prize Filmowa Góra, Best Documentary and Paradocumentary Award Mały Pagórek;.Polish Edition of Slamdance Slamdance on the Road, Kraków 2007: Grand Jury Prize;.IFF "Punto de Vista 2007", Spain: Jean Vigo Award for the best directing Festivals:.Trieste Film Festival,.Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival.International Documentary Film Festival IDFA, Amsterdam participant in "Docs for Sale" Fairs

18 Janek Janek Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Renata Gabryjelska cinematography Zbyszek Jarosz, Rafał Śmierzchalski music Paris Music editing Renata Gabryjelska, Piotr Krasny sound design Grzegorz Lindemann produced by Warsaw Film School, ul. Świeradowska 43, 02-662 Warsaw, phone +48 22 543 55 99, e-mail maciekslesicki@szkolafilmowa.pl producer Maciek Ślesicki HDV, colour, 19 min Awards:.25 th Debut Film Festival Young & Cinema, Koszalin 2006: Award for Documentary in Polish School Films Competition Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection story of shoeblack philosopher told as a platform Aballad about a railway station s capitalism.

Kurc Kurc 19 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Borys Lankosz cinematography Borys Lankosz music Abel Korzeniowski editing Bartosz Karczyński sound design Anna Rutkowska produced by Euromedia TV, Sandomierska 28/1, 02-567 Warsaw, phone +48 22 856 93 04, fax +48 22 856 95 38, e-mail annab@euromediatv.com.pl producers Anna Brzywczy, Anna Żamojda DV, colour, 24 min Awards:.Film Festival "Wakacyjne Kadry" Cieszyn 2006: Golden Horseshoe for the best documentary Festivals:.46 th Kraków Film Festival 2006 M ariusz Kurc had a passport in his pocket, 120 PLN and a digital camcorder in his rucksack. He travelled to more than ten countries in three continents in eighteen months. What was he looking for? What was he escaping from?

20 Models Modelki Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Monika Pawluczuk cinematography Szymon Lenkowski editing Justyna Gajewska sound design Darek Wancerz produced by Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Integracji, ul. Sapieżyńska 10a, 00-215 Warsaw, phone +48 22 635 13 30, e-mail integracja@integracja.org, www.integracja.org executive produced by Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing, ul. Chełmska 21, bld. 24; 00-724 Warsaw, Poland, phone +48 22 851 10 56, phone/fax +48 22 851 10 57; e-mail info@wajdaschool.pl www.wajdaschool.pl executive producers Monika Pawluczuk, Katarzyna Ślesicka DV, colour, 23 min F emale director accompanies a group of Silesian girls, models on wheelchairs, during their preparation to a fashion show that is organized in one of Warsaw clubs.

Moje dziecko jest aniołem My Baby Is an Angel 21 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Monika Górska cinematography Rafał Jerzak music Krzysztof Górski editing Wiesław Jagsch sound design Mirosław Domagała produced by Polish Television Agencja Produkcji Audycji Telewizyjnych dla Redakcji Filmu Dokumentalnego i Reportażu TVP 2, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 80 75, +48 22 547 80 92 producer Tomasz Polaski Awards:.Circom Regional Award (Association of European Regional Televisions) 2006: Grand Prix for the Best Documentary;.Media Festival "Men in Danger" Łódź 2006: Honourary Diploma Betacam SP, colour, 25 min T he story about everyday life of the mothers who have lost their prematurely born children. Medical staff as well as civil servants, priests and even relatives deny their right to despair, and refuse their dead children s right to be treated as humans. The protagonists are trying to break the conspiracy of silence that arouse on this matter. They meet in support groups, write letters to the parliament and the priests, they distribute leaflets among mothers in hospitals.

22 A czego tu się bać Nothing To Be Scared Of Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Małgorzata Szumowska Awards: cinematography Jacek Drosio music Adam Walicki, Marcin Rychter editing Jacek Drosio sound design Piotr Fede produced by Shot-Szumowski, e-mail m_szumowska@pro.onet.pl, akurzydlo@gmail.com for Polish Television, Programme 2, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 80 75, +48 22 547 80 92, e-mail beata.boleslawska@waw.tvp.pl producer Agnieszka Kurzydło Digital Beta, colour, 16:9, stereo, 39 min V illagers from Mazurian village talk about rituals, customs and beliefs regarding death. Their talk is ordinary just like in other topics, yet it is honest, eloquent and humorous. For them death is familiar, otherwise than for townsfolk who don t have time to think about it. Yet paradoxically it causes even greater fear. There is nothing to be scare of are wondering the protagonists of this funny and moving film..47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007, International Competition: The City of Kraków Student's Jury Prize (ex aequo with "Mon dernier role"/my Last Role directed by Olivier Ayache-Vidal)

On the Road W drodze 23 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Maciej Adamek Awards: cinematography Artur Żurawski music Andrzej Izdebski editing Sławomir Goździk sound design Grzegorz Nawara produced by Polish Television 2 nd Programme, ul. Woronicza 17, 00-999 Warsaw, phone +48 22 547 80 88, +48 22 547 80 95 fax +48 22 547 88 30 executive producer SPI International Polska, ul. Tyniecka 38a, 02-621 Warsaw, phone +48 504 06 40 37 producer Radek Styś Betacam SP, colour, 30 min Poland 2005 A homeless married couple wonders across Poland searching for a place to settle down. They carry all their earthly possessions in two small bags. They sleep in the woods or in dilapidated houses and look for their food in garbage cans. Whilst on the road, they tell the story of their lives; longtime homelessness and their relationship which for them is the most important thing in life..media Festiwal "Man in Danger" Łódź, Poland 2005: Honourary Diploma;.Worldwide Short Film Festival, Toronto, Canada 2006: Best Documentary Award;.Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival, Brazil 2006: Audience Award;.Worldfest Independent Film Festival, Houston, USA 2007: Platinum Remi for the best editing Sławomir Goździk;.International Documentary Film Festival Cronograf, Moldavia 2007: Grand Prix, Audience Award, Award for the Best Cinematography Artur Żurawski;.The End of the Pier International Film Festival, Bognor Regis, Great Britain 2007: Special Mention in the documentary film category, Special Mention in the European film category

24 Radek Radek Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Magnus von Horn Awards: cinematography Yori Fabian editing Bogusława Furga sound design Michał Robaczewski, Justyna Musialska produced by PWSFTViT, ul. Targowa 61/63, 90-323 Łódź, phone +48 42 634 58 20, fax +48 42 634 59 28, e-mail swzfilm@filmschool.lodz.pl www.filmschool.pl producer Bogusława Furga artistic supervisor Grażyna Kędzielawska co-financing Polish Film Institute DV, black & white, 14 min R adek has been recently released from prison. He is trying to control his aggression but in the world he lives in, it is hard to do so. Portrait of a young man who is trying to understand and change himself without any support from his environment, cultural patterns and the language he speaks. Does he have a chance?.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007: Maciej Szumowski Award (ex aequo with the film "Cupboard" by Jacob Dammas)

Rendez-vous Rendez-vous 25 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Marcin Janos Krawczyk Awards: cinematography Wojciech Staroń editing Wojciech Jagiełło sound design Aleksandra Zawrotniak produced by Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing, ul. Chełmska 21, bld. 24; 00-724 Warsaw, Poland, phone +48 22 851 10 56, phone/fax +48 22 851 10 57; e-mail info@wajdaschool.pl, www.wajdaschool.pl producer Katarzyna Ślesicka co-financing Polish Film Institute Betacam SP, colour, 4:3, stereo, 9,5 min T wo young people on a date. Café, romantic background music. But for these two such a going out is something very unusual....13th Festival "FeFe Felliniada", Warsaw 2006: "little FeFe" Award;.3rd European Film Festival "Integration You and Me", Koszalin 2006: Grand Prix in the category of documentary;.polish Film Festival in New York, USA 2007: Special Mention; Festivals:.Famufest, Prague, Czech 2006: official selection;.internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin "Berlinale" 2007: official selection;.cinéma du Réel, Paris, France 2007: official selection;.5th International Festival Silverdocs, Washington DC, USA 2007: official selection

26 The Seeds Nasiona Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Wojciech Kasperski cinematography Szymon Lenkowski music Philip Glass editing Tymek Wiskirski sound design Iwo Klimek produced by Eureka Media, Smulikowskiego 13/10, 00-384 Warsaw, phone +48 22 828 48 10, fax +48 22 829 56 73, e-mail eureka@ntcm.com.pl, www.eurekamedia.info, www.newgaze.info; Polish Television producer Krzysztof Kopczyński co-financing Polish Film Institute, Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing HDV, colour, 28 min ilm in the series Russia-Poland. New Gaze. FA married couple with many children dwell on the outskirts of a small village surrounded by the Altay Mountains. They live in poverty, rejected by the local society. Once a tragedy happened here. Now they have to pay for the old sins. Awards:.International Documentary Film Festival "Flahertiana", Perm, Russia 2006: Great Silver Nanook, Award for the Best Documentary;.46 th Kraków Film Festival 2006 National Competition: Grand Prix Złoty Lajkonik, Kodak Award Cracow Students' Award;.AFI Discovery Channel Documentary Festival "Silverdocs", Washington Main Award for the Short Documentary;.28 th Big Muddy Film Festival, Illinois, USA Award for the Best Short;.Russian Film Prize "Laurel" 2006, Moscow for the best foreign non-feature film;.best Debut Award at the Cieszyn Film Festival 2006 for the director of cinematography, Szymon Lenkowski;.Special Mention at the Prix Europa Festival in Berlin 2006;.Special Award of the Jury at the Media Festival "Human in Peril" Łódź 2006;.Alternative Festival of Independent Film, Barcelona, Spain 2006: Jury's Special Mention;.European Film Week OFF/ON Warsaw 2006: Special Award;.The CMU International Film Festival 2006 "Faces of Democracy", Pittsburgh 2006: Grand Prix in the Student International Short Film category;.big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Missoula, Montana 2007: Jury's Special Award;.International Music and Film Festival Mediawave, Györ, Hungary 2007: Grand Prix Presented at many other festivals, including INPUT 2006, DOK Leipzig 2006 and Polish Film Festival in America 2006.

Stiepan Stiepan 27 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Radka Franczak Festivals: cinematography Radek Ładczuk editing Michał Żytkowski sound design Jarek Wójcik produced by Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing, ul. Chełmska 21, bld. 24; 00-724 Warsaw, Poland, phone +48 22 851 10 56, phone/fax +48 22 851 10 57; e-mail info@wajdaschool.pl www.wajdaschool.pl producer Katarzyna Ślesicka co-financing Polish Film Institute Betacam SP, colour, 4:3, stereo, 13 min R andom conversation that people have on trains and railway stations while passing strangers on a journey. A 75 year old Russian Stiepan, met by the booking-office at the Terespol railway station, recounts the unusual story of his life..official Selection of One World / People In Need Film Festival Prague 2007, Czech Republic.

28 Symbiosis Symbioza Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Krzysztof Kasior cinematography Krzysztof Kasior editing Krzysztof Kasior sound design Krzysztof Kasior produced by Wydział Radia i Telewizji, Uniwersytet Śląski, ul. Bytkowska 1 B, 40-955 Katowice, phone +48 32 258 24 21 ex 287, +48 32 258 70 70, mobile +48 693 398 868, e-mail writv@us.edu.pl co-financing Polish Film Institute Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection Betacam SP, colour, 4:3, stereo, 12 min Z byszek has never moved out from his room. He is 52 years old and he still lives with his mother 72 year-old Zofia. Zbyszek is leaving to a sanatorium in Ciechocinek. He suffers because of separation with his mother. When he comes back home, we found out the truth about their mutual relation.

Tactility Przez dotyk 29 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Julia Kolberger Festivals: cinematography Monika Kotecka music Tadeusz Wielecki, Jan Pęczak editing Barbara Snarska sound design Ewa Bogusz produced by PWSFTViT, ul. Targowa 61/63, 90-323 Łódź, phone +48 42 634 58 23, +48 42 634 58 20, fax +48 42 634 59 28, e-mail zpf@filmschool.lodz.pl, www.filmschool.lodz.pl producer Beata Gzik co-financing Polish Film Institute Betacam SP, colour, 16:9, mono, 16 min Poland 2007 A son Ignacy is born to Vanessa and Peter. Ignacy neither sees nor hears. Young parents are trying to imagine his world to themselves, to communicate with him and to show him as much love and warmth as possible. Their world slowly changes. They start to enjoy little details and appreciate small things. After two years their second son Maurycy is born. It turns out that he won t see nor hear neither....5 th Łódź Film School Student Film Review "Łodzią po Wiśle", Warsaw 2007;.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection

30 Taking Care Pod opieką Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Jan Wagner cinematography Tomasz Nowak editing Bogusława Furga sound design Wojciech Emm produced by PWSFTViT, Targowa 61/63, 90-323 Łódź, phone +48 42 634 58 20, fax +48 42 674 80 88, e-mail swzfilm@filmschool.lodz.pl, www.filmschool.lodz.pl producer Andrzej Bednarek artistic supervisor Tadeusz Pałka co-financing Polish Film Institute Betacam SP, colour and black & white, 4:3, mono, 14 min Awards:.4 th Łódź Film School Student Film Review "Łodzią po Wiśle", Warsaw 2006: Grand Prix;.XVI The Media Festival "Man in Danger", Łódź 2006: Honorary Diploma Festivals:.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 National Competition official selection P ortrait of a young doctor, who takes care of the incurably ill children, patients of the Gajusz Foundation in Łódź.

User Friendly Death Śmierć z ludzką twarzą 31 Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Marcin Koszałka cinematography Marcin Koszałka music Adrian Konarski, Krzysztof Suchodolski editing Anna Wagner sound design Krzysztof Suchodolski produced by HBO Polska, ul. Puławska 17, 02-515 Warsaw, phone +48 22 852 88 00, fax +48 22 852 88 02, e-mail kontakt@hbo.pl producer Krzysztof Rak executive producer Natalia Bartkowicz-Koszałka DarkLight Studio, ul. Katowicka 48, 31-351 Kraków, phone +48 12 626 38 01, e-mail natalia@darklight.pl Digital Beta, black & white and colour, 4:3, stereo, 69' C rematorium in Ostrava. The workers speak about the process of cremation, different kinds of coffins and urns. The camera shows the moment when the dead body is put into the stove, and how the ashes are placed into numbered urn. You can get used to death, learn to face it every day. For the workers of the crematorium it is a usual workplace. For the rest of us, a place we'd rather forget.

32 The Warrior Wojownik Life, Death, and Other Oddments written and directed by Jacek Bławut Awards: cinematography Jacek Bławut editing Jacek Bławut sound design Robert Sędzicki (Opus Film), Jacek Piotr Bławut, Wojciech Cwyk produced by HBO Poland, ul. Puławska 17, 02-515 Warsaw, phone +48 22 852 88 00, fax +48 22 852 88 02, e-mail askonieczna@hbo.pl producers Jerzy Dzięgielewski, Aleksander Kutela, Krzysztof Rak, Anna Skonieczna executive producer Produkcja Filmów Jacek Bławut, ul. Kardynała Wyszyńskiego 25 m 31/21, 94-047 Łódź, phone +48 42 252 27 05, fax +48 42 689 04 79, e-mail jablawut@poczta.fm HDV, colour, 4:3, 85 min Poland 2007.47 th Kraków Film Festival 2007 Full-length Documentary Competition: Honourable Mention A story of the extraordinary career and the tragic fall of a Polish kick-boxer Marek Piotrowski. In 1988, just a year before the fall of communism in Poland, Marek emigrated to USA with a dream to become a star of kick-boxing. He won the title of USA Champion and three times he became the World Champion. He lived in luxury. In 1996 his decline commenced: his father died, he got divorced, he learnt that he s not the father of a boy he believed to be his son, he fell ill, could not walk or speak. His career had broken, Marek fell into financial problems and became a taxi-driver in Detroit. After a year he returned to live with his mother in a small town near Warsaw. Marek fought with depression for three years. Finally he got better. He established a small kick-boxing school for troubled youth in Minsk Mazowiecki. His old-time fan advised him to take on another job: Marek started organizing courses for big companies workers and teaching them motivation: how to be successful and how to cope with their failures.