Co-sponsored
by the University of Rochester’s Skalny Center for Polish and Central European
Studies, The Rochester Polish Film Festival just completed the first part of
its annual event with a screening of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s wonderful 10-part
series, “The
Decalogue.” Now the festival returns on Wednesday for part two: five-days
of narrative and documentary features that offer a sampling of the best of
contemporary Polish cinema. This year’s lineup is heavy on historical dramas
and docs, and there’s plenty to recommend to film fans looking for something
outside the usual fare.
The opening night presentation of
“11 Minutes” will be held at the Dryden Theatre (900 East Avenue), and each
subsequent screening will be at The Little Theatre (240 East Avenue). Tickets
are $9 general admission ($7 for students and seniors) and are available at The Little’s box office. For more information visit the
festival’s website at rochester.edu/SKALNY or call the Skalny Center at 275-9898.
Here’s a peek at a few of this
year’s selections, all of which will be shown in Polish with English subtitles.
From
esteemed filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski, “11
Minutes” is a ticking-clock thriller which revolves around a collection of seemingly
random urbanites whose lives intersect in surprising and potentially disastrous
ways. Reportedly inspired by a nightmare the director had, the film is an
exercise in virtuosic filmmaking that injects some pointed commentary on our
technologically-dependent age. Screens
Wednesday, November 2, 7 p.m., at the Dryden Theatre. General admission $8; $6
for members; and $4 for students.
I previously reviewed “The
Innocents” back in September when it had a limited theatrical run here, but if you missed
the film during its first tour through Rochester, it’s
well worth your time. The story follows a young, French Red Cross doctor (Lou
de Laâge) who, while assisting survivors of the German camps of World War II,
discovers that several nuns at the nearby convent are in advanced stages of
pregnancy following a brutal assault by Soviet soldiers. It sounds bleak, but
in director Anne Fontaine’s capable hands, the story ultimately becomes a
surprisingly hopeful examination of faith. (Thursday,
November 3, 7 p.m.)
In the darkly humorous “Eccentrics, The Sunny Side of the Street,” a former soldier in WWII
(Maciej Stuhr) returns from London to his Polish homeland in the late 1950’s
with the burning desire to form a swing band. He gains support from some local oddballs
and amateur musicians as they gradually come together to jump, jive, and wail. It’s
an entertaining tale filled with plenty of great period jazz tunes. (Friday, November 4, 7 p.m.)
The fascinating documentary “Generations” uses snippets of almost 50 Polish films to tell the story of the country’s
past, as the clips weave a narrative that illustrates the ways in which cinema
can both influence and reflect history. (Saturday,
November 5, 3 p.m.)
A number of strong performances
anchor “Siberian Exile,” a stirring war drama which
begins in 1939, as Soviet soldiers round up the Poles, Ukrainians, and Jewish
people from their villages and deport them to a labor camp in Siberia. A
Q&A session with director Janusz Zaorski will follow the film. (Saturday, November 5, 7 p.m.)
Shining a spotlight on the unsung
heroes of the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, “303” combines archival footage
and interviews with the children and surviving members of the force. While the
presentation can be a bit dry at times, the subject is still always compelling.
The feature will be preceded by the short, “History in Moving Pictures: The
Introduction of Christianity A.D. 965.” (Sunday,
November 6, 3 p.m.)
Co-presented with the Rochester
International Jewish Film Festival, the fascinating documentary “Karski & The Lords of Humanity” tells the true story of spy
and diplomat Jan Karski, who provided crucial information to the Allied powers
about Nazi crimes against the Jews of Europe. The screening will be followed by
a talk with director Slawomir Grünberg. (Sunday,
November 6, 7 p.m.)
The crowd-pleasing “Planet Single” is a modern romantic comedy about an unlucky in love music teacher (Agnieszka
Wiedlocha) who reluctantly agrees to let a boorish celebrity television host
(Maciej Stuhr again) use her dating exploits as fodder for his popular talk
show. A number of romantic ties are forged and dissolved as their partnership
takes on unexpected new dimensions. Plus there are puppets! (Monday, November 7, 7 p.m.)
Check back on Friday for additional film coverage, including a
review of Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge.”
This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2016.
