Polonica at the 49th PFF
Besides the Main Competition, Polonica is the oldest part of the Festival. To qualify a film, it must meet the essential criterion of Polish contribution. Domestic filmmakers successfully collaborate on European and global co-productions, as evidenced by the Polonica programme, which is diverse in genre and subject matter.
The titles presented this year in the Polonica section reflect contemporary cinema that is not indifferent to the world around us but attentive, sensitive, exploring new rules and boundaries of reality and evoking timeless values. I am glad our filmmakers are an important voice in this story. Polonica, emphasising international relations of Polish cinema, perfectly complements the Gdynia competitions – points out Artistic Director of the Festival Joanna Łapińska.
And so in the section we’ll see a film by British director James Marquand The Partisan showing a story of Krystyna Skarbek, a Polish spy for the British intelligence, often called Churchill’s favourite spy, forgotten after the World War II, struggling with everyday reality. The second film is an American comedy drama Late Bloomers by Lisa Steen about an unobvious relation between young injured Louise and her caretaker Antonina (played by Małgorzata Zajączkowska), a grumpy old Polish lady who helps her get back on her feet – both literally and metaphorically. The third film is Housekeeping for Beginners by Goran Stolevski, which tells the story of a queer family, as it attempts to recover from the loss of Suada, a mother of two daughters.
List of films in the Polonica section:
The Partisan, directed by: James Marquand, cast including: Agata Kulesza, Piotr Adamczyk, Piotr Trojan and Jacek Beler, director of photography: Karol Łakomiec, production design: Paweł Jarzębski, costume design: Magdalena Jadwiga Rutkiewicz-Luterek, make up: Anna Gorońska, edited by: Przemysław Chruścielewski, production: i.a. Sandra Zagórska, Robert Chadaj, Krystian Kozlowski, Jolanta Matych. Meeting with the filmmakers after the screening.
Late Bloomers, directed by: Lisa Steen, cast including: Małgorzata Zajączkowska. Meeting with Małgorzata Zajączkowska after the screening.
Housekeeping for Beginners, directed by: Goran Stolevski, producion design: Anna Rzeźniczek, production: Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Beata Rzeźniczek, Marcin Łuczaj, Jan Naszewski.
The 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia will take place on 23rd–28th September 2024.
