Series Pass available at the door
on September 9th - Opening Night
Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
MAYFAIR Theatre (1074 Bank @ Sunnyside)
ARCHIVED |
September 9
THE WELTS/PR?GI*. Poland 2004, psychological drama (91 min.). Dir.: Magdalena Piekorz. With: Micha? ?ebrowski, Jan Frycz, Wac?aw Adamczyk, Agnieszka Grochowska. Wojtek, who is being raised in a single-parent family by a pious and shockingly authoritative father, tries to escape and have a normal life of his own. A powerful examination of life-lasting implications of an abusive father/son relationship. Golden Lion Award, Polish FF 2004. WARNING: disturbing content (child-abuse).
RECEPTION hosted by the Polish Embassy in Ottawa
TRICKS/SZTUCZKI*. Poland 2007, comedy/drama (95 min.).
Dir.: Andrzej Jakimowski. With: Damian Ul, Ewelina Walendziak,
Tomasz Szapryk, Iwona Fornalczyk. Stefek, a bright and very
observant six-year-old boy living with his teenage sister Elka and
their mother in a small village near Warsaw, has never seen his
father. He tries using some tricks to bring his father home. Golden
Lion, Polish FF 2007; Europa Cinemas & Laterna Magica Awards,
Venice IFF 2007.
October 7
TIME TO DIE/PORA UMIERA?*. Poland 2007, drama/comedy
(104 min.). Dir.: Dorota K?dzierzawska. With: Danuta Szaflarska,
Krzysztof Globisz, Patrycja Szewczyk. Aniela, a stubborn woman,
played by the 91 year-old Danuta Szaflarska, lives alone with her
impetuous dog in a big dacha-style house surrounded by tall trees.
When the nouveau-riche neighbours conspire to gain her property,
she finds a way to outsmart them. Best Actress/Audience /Critics
Awards, Polish FF 2007; Special Canine Award, Polish Film Awards
2007.
I AM/JESTEM*. Poland 2005, social drama (93 min.).
Dir.: Dorota K?dzierzawska. With: Piotr Jagielski, Agnieszka Nagórzycka,
Edyta Jungowska, Pawe? Wilczak. Kundel (Mongrel), an 11-year-old
boy, rejected by his mother and his peers, runs away from an
orphanage to find a surrogate “home” on a deserted old barge on
the outskirts of his hometown. He befriends a girl from an affluent
family who is also an outcast. Best Score/Cinematography Awards,
Polish FF 2005; Special Mention, Berlin IFF 2006.
November 4
SYMMETRY/SYMETRIA*. Poland 2003, drama/thriller (99 min.).
Dir.: Konrad Niewolski. With: Arkadiusz Detmer, Andrzej Chyra,
Janusz Bukowski, El?bieta Kijowska, Marcin J?drzejski.
?ukasz, a young man falsely accused of assault is arrested,
convicted and jailed. After following questionable advice from a
fellow convict, he ends up in a cell with career criminals. Frightened
to death he has no choice but to change according to the prison's
unwritten rules. Critics Award, Polish FF 2003. WARNING: disturbing content (violence & language).
DEBT/D?UG*.
Poland 1999, crime drama/thriller (106 min.).
Dir.: Krzysztof Krauze. With: Robert Gonera, Jacek Borcuch,
Andrzej Chyra, Joanna Szurmiej, Agnieszka Warchulska. Two young
entrepreneurs from Warsaw enlist Gerard to help them obtain
financing for their business project. Although the deal does not go
through, Gerard starts harassing them and their families for
repayment of the imaginary debt. Based on true events. Golden
Lion, Best Actor/Best Score Awards, Polish FF 1999. WARNING: disturbing content (graphic crime scenes, general violence).
Attention!
Change of date to Wednesday, December 1st!
December 1
ALL WILL BE WELL/WSZYSTKO B?DZIE DOBRZE*. Poland 2007,
drama/road movie (98 min.). Dir.: Wojciech Wiszniewski.
With: Adam Werstak, Robert Wi?ckiewicz, Daniel Makolski, Beata
Kawka, Izabela D?browska. Young Pawe? loves to run and his school
coach wants him to compete in a major tournament in Leipzig.
Instead, Pawe? decides to run on a pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in
Cz?stochowa asking for a miracle cure for his terminally ill mother.
The coach follows along, fighting his own desperate battle with
alcohol. Best Director/Actor/Score Awards, Polish FF 2007.
MY NIKIFOR/MÓJ NIKIFOR*.
Poland 2004, biography (97 min.).
Dir.: Krzysztof Krauze. With: Krystyna Feldman, Roman Gancarczyk,
Jerzy Gudej?o, Lucyna Malec. Uplifting and often comic story of the
last eight years of the late Polish/Ukrainian naïve painter Nikifor
regarded as one of the five best “primitive” painters in the world,
with over 40,000 drawings and paintings to his credit. Kristina
Feldman as Nikifor delivers one of the most brilliant cross-dressing
roles in the history of cinema. Best Actress/Editing Awards, Polish
FF 2005; Cristal Globe/Don Quijote Awards, Chicago IFF 2005.
*English
subtitles.

This overview of the Contemporary Polish Cinema is a result of a special co-operation project between the Ottawa Festival Society (OFS), the
Polish Embassy in Ottawa, and Filmoteka Narodowa in Warsaw, with financial support from the Polish Film Institute. These screenings will be
the Canadian premieres for all the films except for The Welts. Since there are no Canadian distributors, all the film prints will arrive directly from
Poland. As an added bonus, the Polish Embassy in Ottawa will host a reception on the opening night Thursday, September 9.
All the films included in our program have been made by a new generation of Polish filmmakers oriented towards now and towards the future
rather than towards the past. The stories should give you a good insight into the moods, aspirations, and social problems faced by Poles
during, and after the transition period of opening Poland towards a free-market economy, democracy, and EU membership.
Dear OFS Members: this is your opportunity to see some contemporary, and otherwise not available in Canada, films from Poland. If you enjoy
socially-conscious and engaged cinema you should not miss the chance. Let the films surprise you by their new perspective, passion, acting
excellence, beauty of the images, and the insight of a nation that initiated the tearing apart of the Iron Curtain.
Soyez les bienvenus! Zapraszamy! Welcome! |
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