NEWS
29/05/2017
57th Krakow Film Festival
“Gruba” by Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz and “Autor Solaris” by Borys Lankosz will be screened during the Krakow Film Festival. Poland’s oldest and most prestigious celebration of documentary, animated, and short films will take place on 28 May – 4 June.
In “Gruba”, which will be screened as part of the Polish Competition, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz tells the story of female coal miners. – Rydułtowy is a town where most people work at the mine. Women are tasked with coal rinsing. Water pours onto the coal from overhead, drenching the machines. The women wade in it up to their knees, making sure no mud deposits form – explains Zmarz-Koczanowicz. – In industries such as coal mining, you still see obvious inequality. There’s this survival of the fittest mentality, and women are pushed to the side. Even though they are much better prepared and more task-oriented.
GRUBA, dir. Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz
From the start of her film career, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz has made a name for herself as an astute social documentarian – Watching her films is like taking a walk through Poland of the last quarter century accompanied by a smart, witty, and curious observer – wrote Tadeusz Sobolewski about Zmarz Koczanowicz’s films. She is impressively sensitive to social change: no matter whether it’s the budding erotic market of the early 1990s (“Kilka uwag o rozkoszy”, 1991), the disco polo phenomenon (“Hanky Panky”, 1996), the club scene (“Miłość do płyty winylowej”, 2002), or the unusual practices of Młodzież Wszechpolska (“I Love Poland”, 2007).
– In my latest film, I show people who are defenseless. Despite the presence of labor unions, coal miners do not have security, they don’t know why the mines aren’t profitable, and no one asks them – the men and women on the ground – how they think the industry should be streamlined – notes the director.
Zmarz-Koczanowicz’s films have received dozens of awards at Polish and international festivals. Including the Krakow Film Festival, which has awarded her the Bronze Lajkonik for “Jestem mężczyzną”, the Golden Lajkonik and Silver Dragon for “Urząd”, the Bronze Dragon for “Zamień mnie w długiego węża”, and the Bronze Lajkonik for “Pokolenie 89”.
Staging of “His Master’s Voice” by Stanisław Lem / AUTOR SOLARIS fot. Rafał Baszczyński
Borys Lankosz, another Krakow veteran (Silver Dragon and Bronze Lajkonik for his “Evolution”) returns to the festival with “Autor Solaris” – a biographical documentary film about Stanisław Lem. In his film, Lankosz examines the mysteries and paradoxes of the science fiction master’s life. How did he manage to survive the Holocaust? What was his attitude towards Communist Poland – since he both wrote propaganda pieces, but was at the same time an active member of the underground? How did he manage to stay up to date with global science and technology in the 1950s? Why did he, a declared atheist, work with the Catholic “Tygodnik Powszechny” throughout his whole life?
“Autor Solaris”, whose screenplay was written by Wojciech Orliński, features unique, never before seen archival footage: pictures and films taken by Stanisław Lem on his 8mm camera. Lankosz reveals previously unpublished letters that show the growing conflict between Lem and Philip K. Dick, which eventually resulted in the latter concluding that Lem does in fact exist, and is instead a persona devised by some secret communist organization. We will also hear Stanisław Lem’s voice, as in the 1950s he recorded his anti-Stalinist satire “Korzenie” (Roots), which he only performed for his closest friends.
We are guided through this mosaic-like landscape that combines elements of reconstructions, interviews, and archival footage, by preeminent experts on Lem: Jerzy Jarzębski, Stanisław Bereś, Tomasz Fiałkowski, his translators Michael Kandel and Wiktor Janiewicz, as well as Michał Zych – the writer’s nephew who used to live with his famous uncle. An overview of the historic background of Lem’s youth was provided by Professor Timothy D. Snyder.
Staging of “Edukacji Cyfrania” by Stanisław Lem / AUTOR SOLARIS fot. Honorata Karapuda
For Borys Lankosz, “Autor Solaris” is a return to his documentary roots. Before he became famous for his acclaimed feature film “Reverse”, he had received numerous awards for his documentary work. His shocking “Evolution” (2001) about the wards of an Albertine residential home in Ojców was awarded at international film festivals in Krakow and San Francisco. The Lodz ghetto documentary “Radegast” received the Silver Phoenix at the Jewish Film Festival.
— Red. (translated by Wojciech Góralczyk)
“Gruba”, dir. Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz|59’
Mon 05-29, 4:30 p.m. Kino Reduta
Thu 06-01, 6:30 p.m. Kino pod Baranami (red room)
more about Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz
“Autor Solaris”, dir. Borys Lankosz, Poland, France, Germany|56’
Sun 05-28, 5:30 p.m. Małopolski Ogród Sztuki
Thu 06-01, 4:30 p.m. Kino Reduta
more about Borys Lankosz