The Big Five at the 49th PFF
For the second time at the Polish Film Festival – The Big Five – five filmmakers will reveal which Polish films are especially close to their hearts – films that have shaped who they are today and never cease to amaze them. This year, the Big Five comprises Olga Chajdas, Wojciech Marczewski, Andrzej Seweryn, Mariusz Włodarski and MałgorzataZajączkowska.
The screenings will be a unique opportunity to revisit the evergreen classics – the beating heart of our cinema. Each screening will have two protagonists: the film and the filmmaker who selected it. After the screening, we will find out the reasoning behind the choice of that particular title, and will ask the filmmakers about what kind of audience member they are, and what shaped their perspective on cinema. The conversation will bring film buffs together – filmmakers and viewers. After all, filmmakers are also viewers – sensitive and passionate – though we rarely get to ask them about films other than the ones they make.
Andrzej Seweryn chose Bad Luck by Andrzej Munk, Wojciech Marczewski – The Maids of Wilko by Andrzej Wajda, Olga Hajdas – Total Eclipse by Agnieszka Holland, Mariusz Włodarski – The Last Day of Summer by Tadeusz Konwicki, and Małgorzata Zajączkowska – Imagine by Andrzej Jakimowski.
Olga Chajdas: “I have always found Agnieszka Holland’s films to have a powerful and energetic storytelling, focused on passion, identity, connection. Total Eclipse is a complete picture, about the artist’s condition, obsession, love, loneliness, frustration. It is brutal and warm, raw and sensual. Every one of us artists dreams of a Rimbaud’s career, but not everyone is prepared to pay the price.”
Wojciech Marczewski: The Maids of Wilko is one of those films that, completely uninvited, invade our memory and dig into it persistently. I haven’t seen it for many years, I can’t retell the plot, or recall the names of the characters, but I still have the same sense as if I had once been there, knew that world, understood it and yearned for it.”
Andrzej Seweryn on Bad Luck: “The film was shot in Warsaw, in Żoliborz, in my backyard. I was 14 years old at the time. It’s the first time I’ve witnessed a film being shot. I saw Polanski, Kobiela, Ciesielska – they were already legends at the time. And then the film itself, which of course I didn’t understand, watching it for the first time. Years later, I see the Polish fate in it. Piszczyk, played brilliantly by Kobiela, is one of us. Fate doesn’t always follow our dreams, and all too often, we fail to resist it.”
Mariusz Włodarski: The Last Day of Summer is a film about an unquenchable need for closeness, made impossible by past wounds. Its minimalist form and raw scenery allow the focus to remain on the emotional tension that grips you, making it impossible to look away. It’s a remarkable piece of cinema that not only tells a moving story but also encourages self-reflection, touching the deepest strings of the human soul.”
Małgorzata Zajączkowska on Imagine: “It’s a film full of magic. It pulled me out of familiar, predictable thoughts and solutions, and encouraged me to seek mindfulness. The beautifully photographed Lisbon, the characters. It’s a film about trust, courage, and overcoming fears in order to feel, and not just look, but truly see.”
“After the great reception of the first Big Five, we have prepared the next instalment of this section. Once again, five exceptional filmmakers will give us a glimpse into the worlds of their cinematic fascinations and beyond. I am already looking forward to these screenings and the attentive conversations that will follow, curious about the spaces they will take us into, ready for the discoveries and surprises they will bring,” says Artistic Director of the Festival Joanna Łapińska.
The Big Five:
Olga Chajdas – Total Eclipse, directed by: Agnieszka Holland | Meeting after the screening hosted by Bogusława Schubert
Wojciech Marczewski – The Maids of Wilko, directed by: Andrzej Wajda | Meeting after the screening hosted by Anita Skwara
Andrzej Seweryn – Bad Luck, directed by: Andrzej Munk | Meeting after the screening hosted by Jan Holoubek
Mariusz Włodarski – The Last Day of Summer, directed by: Tadeusz Konwicki | Meeting after the screening hosted by: Magdalena Koleśnik
Małgorzata Zajączkowska – Imagine, directed by: Andrzej Jakimowski | Meeting after the screening hosted by Łukasz Grzegorzek
The 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia will take place on 23rd–28th September 2024.
