This year’s festival continues the tradition started by previous editions. For almost 3 months visitors will see some of the most interesting recent Polish productions (both short- and feature films).. They are also going to see an exhibition of film posters and have a chance to take part in artistic workshops and other complimentary events.
Play Poland’s programme: “In the name of…” by Szumowska, “Manhunt” by Krzyształowicz, “Siberian Exile” by Zaorski, “Shameless” by Marczewski, “The Three Sisters T” by Kowalewski, “In a Bedroom” by Wasilewski, “Bejbi Blues” by Rosłaniec and others.
The eventful festival’s programme reflects unrestrained Polish cultural life. The Organizers have their finger on the pulse. This year there are going to be presented not only the most influential films from Munk Studio, Wajda School, University of Silesia, Studio SE-MA-FOR, Plastige Image, Short Waves, T-Mobile New Horizons but also, for the first time, films from Krakow Film Festival, Camerimage and O!PLA Across the Borders. Professionals from organizations and events listed above have specially selected for the Play Poland the best debuts, most of which were made in 2012. All of them can be watched during the festival’s special screenings of the short films.
The cinemagoers, whose positive experience of the festival is the number one concern of the organisers, are actively contributing the making of most important part of the festival – the programme of the feature films screenings. The feedback received via online surveys, enables us to choose the best pictures. This formula seems to match viewers’ expectations every year. This is why, during the Play Poland Film Festival shows not only most popular Polish films but also those less known but appreciated by film critics. This year’s screenings will include among others such hits as ‘Manhunt’ directed by Marcin Krzyształowicz and ‘In the name of…’ directed by Małgorzata Szumowska.
War thriller with Marcin Dorociński playing the main part shows in a naturalistic and convincing manner the experiences of thousands of Poles. It is important to present such films in the UK particularly to the so-called ‘Old Polish Community’ (the people who happened to be in exile because of, among others, the events shown in the ‘Manhunt’).
While Krzyształowicz breaks a taboo by rediscovering already known stories, Małgorzata Szumowska shocks her audience again by the subject presented in her new film. After a widely-discussed ‘Elles’ which relativizes sexual services, the young director divulges issues nesting in a parish, where priests have their own dilemmas, like other people.
In addition to the films above, during the Play Poland viewers can also see “Shameless”, “Siberian Exile”, “Three Sisters T”, “Bejbi Blues”, “In a Bedroom” and “Wojtek – The Bear That Went to War” – a documentary about an animal companion of Polish soldiers. Last of the films mentioned is going to be accompanied by the representative of the organization Wojtek Memorial Trust, which is engaged in maintaining the memory of an unusual member of the Anders’ Army and building the Polish-Scottish relations based on his figure.
Andrzej Pągowski at the Play Poland!
As always, the Play Poland screenings will be accompanied by exhibitions of film posters. This year, the idea is to expose cultural diversity of individual nation connected with the political context. Festival participants will have the opportunity to see how the Polish poster artists created in the People’s Republic of Poland. The posters were created e.g. for Asian, American and European films. In their works Polish poster artists presented their visions on the topic of the lands inaccessible for them. They were also smuggling subtle commentary on the reality that surrounded them. Among such eminent artists as: Jakub Erol or Franciszek Starowieyski special place takes Andrzej Pągowski. His posters included in the separate exhibition will be presented in several Festival cities. The author will honour the Festival personally, on 4th and on 5th October in Edinburgh’s Meow Studios he will hold a lecture and workshops about creating posters. We hope that the artist will find time to talk about his work and talk with his admirers. The meeting with Pągowski will be accompanied by a projection of the film “Behind the Poster”. In this documentary under the pretext of capturing the phenomenon of the ‘Polish School of Poster Art’, he tells the story of post-war Poland.
The detailed information and the Festival programme are available on Festival’s website and Facebook profile. Be there with us!
Photo © Andrzej Chyra as Father Adam in “In the name of…” directed by Małgorzata Szumowska.
