Documentaries in Gdynia – Polish Film Festival

Daniel didn’t hear his son, Krzysiek, leave the house and head for the bridge over the Vistula, where he was last seen. A CCTV camera captured Krzysiek before he disappeared: either he jumped into the river or walked off the bridge. Since then, Daniel and his wife have been living in limbo, torn between hope and fear. Unwilling to wait for a breakthrough in the investigation, Daniel builds a boat equipped with cameras and drones to search the river himself. The search consumes him. The solitary...

Uninvited guests: spiders, scorpions, and thousands of ants appear in the tidy space of Kasia’s flat – her teenage son, Oskar, has a passion for terrariums. Over time, his interest in exotic animals begins to spill over the established boundaries, having a real impact on the household’s daily life. The tension between mother and son is mounting. They must work out new rules so that they can continue to live together and prevent their relationship from falling apart.

Christopher Morris took part in twenty-eight wars. Armed with a photographic camera, he documented bloody conflicts around the world. These days, he tries to lead a peaceful family life, but the demons of war keep haunting him, and turbulent American reality calls out to him at every turn. The tasteful black-and-white shots portray a man who has not yet laid down his arms but is trying to come to terms with his choices and ambitions. The consequences of working as a war photojournalist ricochet...

Many years ago, Maciej took his son and two of his friends on holiday, during which they made a horror film together. He wanted to get the boys away from their computers. He had no idea at the time that it would turn into one of the greatest adventures of his life, and that together they would create a one-of-a-kind series of horror films. The film tells a story about growing up, questions, fears, and dreams, and above all, about the power of a long-standing friendship.

In Warsaw, during the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions, another contest, less visible, is underway. Piano tuners representing the leading grand piano manufacturers work day and night, fine-tuning the tone of every note. Each expert has their own philosophy and method of work. It is their intuition that determines how the instrument chosen by the pianist will sound and whether it will become the vehicle of victory. In this...

Traces is a moving testament to women’s solidarity. It is the story of Ukrainian women who, after experiencing sexual violence and torture during the Russian invasion, decided to break their silence. At the helm of this extraordinary community is Iryna Dovhan, head of SEMA Ukraine, who herself survived captivity and violence at the hands of Russian combatants and now helps other survivors document the crimes and fight for justice. The film’s protagonists - women from various regions of Ukraine,...