For the first time, MDAG Industry hosts a pitch session comprising Polish films that are already completed and included in the 20th Millennium Docs Against Gravity programme. The presentations will be made May 13 to the international sales, distribution, funding and festival community in attendance at Millennium Docs Against Gravity.
“Polish documentary films are known for their strong storytelling, artistic vision, and social commentary. The films that are in our festival program and presented at the Pole Position tackle complex and difficult subjects with sensitivity, depth, and insight, showcasing a unique perspective on Polish society and culture,” comments MDAG Industry Head Anna Szczypińska. She cites works such as Hanka Nobis’ Polish Prayers, “the story of a very radical right-winged young man who grew up in a typical Polish family, but has to face his beliefs.”
“One of the strengths of Polish documentary films we show is their focus on human stories and emotions. A Few Things I’d Like To Tell You (Mateusz Góra, Kamil Wilk) is a perfect example of an intimate and personal story, that allows us to deeply connect with the characters, thanks to the human element,” Szczypińska adds. “I hope that this new pitching format will prove to be an interesting proposition, especially for distributors, representatives of television and festivals.”
POLE POSITION PROJECTS 2023
HOW MUCH FOR ART? Directed by: Andrzej Miękus. Producer: Krzysztof Jakubowski. Production: Vitelloni. Poland, 2023, 80 mins.
Art, auctions, huge valuations of individual works, a market full of enigmas. The inaccessibility of the art world and its business mechanisms, incomprehensible to many, have always worked on the imagination. However, the incredible growth of interest in buying art in Poland over the past few years means that the curtain of mysticism must be slowly falling. How Much for Art? is a look at the Polish art market which, with the political transformation, has changed from a marginal and obscure curio to a modern, professional machine, opening for some artists of the youngest generation the gates of success inaccessible to their predecessors.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw: World Premiere.
WE WILL NOT FADE AWAY Directed by: Alisa Kovalenko. Producer: Valeryi Kalmykow, Stephane Siohan, Katarzyna Kuczyńska, Tomasz Morawski. Production: Trueman Production, East Roads Films, Haka Films.
Donbas, 2019. The prospect of a new Russian invasion hangs in the air, while the sound of gunfire can still be heard in the distance. In this seemingly bleak wartime setting, five teenagers start to seriously think about their future. Their energy, enthusiasm, and hope allow them to fully live out their last golden hours of childhood despite the circumstances. The members of this imaginative band of dreamers paint, take photographs, or fantasise about acting careers or becoming the next Elon Musk. They rebel, ride on the waves of adventure, walk into minefields and sunbathe by a local lake. They dream of escaping not only from the war, but also – like teenagers all over the world – from the boredom of a small town. Then, unexpectedly, an opportunity arises to embark on a long journey all the way to Nepal. Will their dream of conquering the world come true?
Selected festivals: 2023 Berlinale Generation 14plus 2023, One World Int’l Human Rights Doc Fest
DON’T RAIN ON OUR PARADE by Nina Krawczak, Misia Joachim. Producer: Mateusz Bzówka. Production: Bulletproof Warsaw. Poland, 2023, 65 mins.
Every June, Warsaw is taken over by thousands, if not tens of thousands of people. The magical crowd takes the streets, sidewalks, squares and parks. In the capital of the most homophobic country of the European Union, the Equality Parade has been held for over 20 years – an event from the community, for the community, giving visibility and „breath” for the next year to the entire community of excluded and discriminated people. What motivates activists to act? What makes Warsaw gain the status of an enclave of freedom and equality for this one day? And is it really an enclave for everyone?
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw: Polish Premiere
POLISH PRAYERS by Hanka Nobis. Producer: Esther van Messel, Hanna Nobis. Production: First Hand Films, HBO Max, MDR / ARTE, Offhand, SRF, RTS. Switzerland, Poland 2022, 84 mins.
Antek, 22, grows up in a deeply religious and radical right-wing family in contemporary Poland. Catholicism, nationalism and especially celibacy define his world. Over several years, filmmaker Hanka Nobis follows him, his friends and his family with her crew. She sees Antek enjoy his growing power in the Brotherhood, a small group of like-minded young men. But when he falls in love, doubts begin to set in.
Selected festivals and awards: IDFA 2022, DocPoint Tallin 2023, Pink Apple Zurich 2023, Thessaloniki 2023, CPH:DOX 2023, One World Prague 2023, GoEast Wiesbaden, Solothurn 2023, Crossing Europe Linz 2023, DocsBarcelona 2023, Doc Alliance Award 2023 nomination, Millennium Docs Against Gravity 2023
FANTASTIC MATT PAREY by Bartosz Paduch. Producer: Maciej Ostatek, Justyna Kluczewska. Production: Fundacja Raban. Poland, 2023, 77 mins.
The film attempts to capture the phenomenon of Maciej Parowski – the editor responsible for launching the careers of several generations of Polish science fiction and fantasy writers. He played a key role in the success of Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” – developed by CD PROJEKT RED into a video game franchise and later adapted into a Netflix saga, as well as the Tomasz Baginski’s Oscar®- nominated short “The Cathedral”, based on a short story by Jacek Dukaj. The documentary traces Parowski’s life through several pivotal moments in Poland’s history: from the turmoil of the communist times and the period of systemic transformation to the rise of the internet and the decline of print media.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw: Polish Premiere
A FEW THINGS I’D LIKE TO TELL YOU by Mateusz Góra, Kamil Wilk, Producer: Maciej Ślesicki. Production: Warsaw Film School. Poland, 2023, 37 mins.
Being ashamed of your identity in Poland has its consequences on many LGBTQ+ people in the country. Kamil and Mateusz have an honest conversation about their identity which unexpectedly becomes a reason to explore a completely different world. “A Few Things I’d Like to Tell You” is an intimate image of two men relationship where they both support each other. Will this change backed by a professional performer help them escape their problems?
Millennium Docs Against Gravity: World Premiere
GETTING TO KNOW YOU by Joanna Krzyżewska. Producer: Filip Marczewski, Katarzyna Madaj-Kozłowska. Production: Wajda Studio. Poland, 2023, 30 mins.
She, him and the unexpected news. Her doubts and his poker face. She experiences extreme emotions, that are better hidden than revealed. He relentlessly renovates the flat and feels that there is no room for his weakness. However, they try to hold hands. The eye of a mobile phone camera accompanies them through the changes that are slowly taking place in their lives. The everyday life observed by the characters themselves, lined with tears and misunderstanding, forms an intimate portrait of a couple who has to get to know each other again. Simple, boldly honest story about growing into change.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Warsaw: World Premiere
HANDFUL OF DIRT by Izabela Zubrycka. Producer: Agata Golańska. Production: The Polish National Film School in Lodz. Poland, 2023, 13 mins.
Is there a way to envision oneʼs funeral? Halina is one of the last funeral singers in Podlasie. Her son Andrzej is a gravedigger. Thousands of people have crossed to the other side accompanied by them. He dug, she sang. Throughout their existence, life collided with death. Normalcy with spirits. Reality with dreaming. Funeral lament breaks the silence.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity: World Premiere
