Hellada Gallery / Hellada Art Center

Polish films at Hellada Gallery, November 10 - 19.

THE FILMS of the 24th Annual Polish Film Festival Los Angeles are selected. Detailed program of screening coming soon.

The Opening Festive Gala and Award Ceremony of Polish Film Festival Los Angeles 2023 will be hosted at El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood on November 10th at 6pm. Reserve your pass now for minimum donation of $150 per person at www.PolishFilmLA.org and click on "DONATE" button on the bottom of any page. Direct link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3K2ECW22ARVUE

Marek Dzida Director and the Board of PFFLA
www.PolishFilmLA.org
562.682-9735

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THE FILMS:

DAY AND NIGHT by Katarzyna Machalek, Lukasz Machowski. Feature film, 89 min.

Two stories of sisterhood and witchcraft in rural Eastern Poland.
A wonderfully illustrated stories in-laced with folklore of old Poland. Did the people then have the same, similar or dramatically different questions about daily challenges in life? How do we see the dilemmas of our ancestors in the light of modern times? What is the source of wisdom?
- Marek Dzida

*

FLORENZA by Matteo Piccinini, Michael Curylo. Music by Marek Eneti Leczyński. Feature film, 52 min.

From the Director:
Michael and Matteo collaborated to make an Italian-American perspective on love, spirituality and art and we hope this romantic take on it is a unique journey for the viewer.

In all endeavors throughout life everyone has many goals to get to. What matters most while conquering another gap before arriving at the destination? Money? People? Dreams? Trust or maybe something else?
- Marek Dzida

*

HELA by Anna Maria Kasperska. Feature film, 84 min.

From the Director:
When teenage trouble maker orphan Hela learns that her 5 years old sister has been adopted, she decides to run away from the reformatory to find and kidnap her sibling.

A story to be watched closely. One of the stories where personal capabilities are in a contest with rationality and social demand. Beautiful tale of struggle which touches all of us sooner or later.
- Marek Dzida

*

HERITAGE by Jakub Tomasz Laskowski. Feature film. 74 min.

From the Director:
Janek, a graphic designer from a big city, is summoned to the opening of the last will of a complete stranger. Eager to learn the history of his family, he and his younger sister drive to a small town. Unexpectedly, Janek receives a house by a lake, but he’s not the only one who claims the right to the property. Janek’s acceptance sets off an avalanche of disastrous events that throw his organized life out of kilter.

*

PROPHET by Michał Kondrat. Feature, 126 min.

From the Director:
Primate Stefan Wyszyński, a spiritual leader and visionary, negotiates with the communist authorities to get more rights for the church and the oppressed nation. An apparent agreement turns into a silent war, a fight for religious freedom and human dignity.

One of the best portraits of Stefan Wyszyński. Powerful and full of wisdom teachings.
- Marek Dzida

*

TONIA by Marcin Bortkiewicz. Feature film, 82 min.

From the Director:
Tonia lives with her father and grandmother. Her mother is dead. Her father is overly fond of the bottle and he’s lost his job. Granny is sending him off to a three-month job on a building site in Italy. Tonia’s doing everything she can to thwart the plan. The best thing will be to get him really drunk. But over the course of the day, she learns several things about herself and her loved ones... things that mean she has to grow up too quickly. The film will maintain the tone of a social comedy-drama, though not devoid of all hope.

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A BRONZE HALBERT by Krzysztof Paluszyński. Documentary, 70 min.

From the Director:
This fictionalized documentary is a kind of story - a journey through the lands of our country and Europe about 4,000 years ago. The time we are talking about is the transition from the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age. During this period, there was a rapid technological and civilizational leap, the standard and quality of life significantly increased, and the very way societies functioned changed. There has been a clear enrichment of people. Bronze products, which began to function in everyday life, became an external symbol of social status and a sign of wealth. The subject outlined in this way directly translates into a high cognitive, informative and educational value of the film. Thanks to the locations, scenography, reconstructions, 3D animation, precisely planned frames, the film evokes a world that has long since ceased to exist.

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CONFIDANT by Mateusz Kudla. Documentary, 60 min.

From the Director:
Lower Silesia in Poland has long been a target for treasure hunters on the trail of gold, art and religious artefacts stolen by the Germans during World War Two. The protagonist, though, has shunned the lure of riches and has instead been on the trail of his own treasure – the human stories behind the valuables that people left behind. He looks for the personal valuables hidden by Germans who fled Lower Silesia at the end of the war.

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GOODBYE MY WONDERFUL WORLD by Joo Joostberens. Documentary, 54 min.

From the Director:
This documentary film helps us to understand that death and mourning cannot be eliminated from our lives. The bridge to this topic is music - one of the first in Europe and the first in Poland, which features traditional mourning songs recorded by pop stars in contemporary arrangements. The film "Goodbye, my wonderful world" tries to deepen in the sphere in an accessible and respectful way on the cultural reflection on the subject of mortality and finitude.

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HENRYK OPIENSKI by Krzysztof Henryk Paluszyński. Documentary, 58 min.

From the Director:
The film presents the figure of a man who has become a permanent part of Polish culture, although he has not been able to engrave himself in our consciousness and memory. Henryk Opieński was a composer, conductor, violinist, doctor of philosophy, music critic and writer, educator and social worker. A man of extraordinary talent supported by incredible energy and determination. Today, this friend of Wyspiański, Rydel, Mehoffer and Paderewski, who persuaded him to return to Poland after Poland regained its independence, is only really remembered by academics. After all, it was people like Henryk Opieński who actively shaped the image of Poland in Europe throughout their lives, and after our country regained independence, together with the greatest artists, they created its foundations and culture.

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INA BENITA by Jacek Papis. Documentary, 71 min.

From the Director:
Incredible story of Ina Benita, one of the most enigmatic figures of Polish cinema of the 1930s. She was a star whose chances of a great international career were buried by war. For years, her fate was shrouded in mystery. Throughout the post-war period, the legend was that she died in the sewers during the Warsaw Uprising. It was only in 2019 that a young journalist, Marek Teler, discovered that she had actually died in the 1980s.

Absolutely perfect story to look into Polish dramatic history, social life and incredible struggle for survivor, dignity and Polish pride. In one sentence, this film “Is the history of modern Poland” is told in such an amazing tale of surprising discoveries surrounding this one extraordinary woman. Absolute marvel of Film.
- Marek Dzida

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NOBODY TOLD ME by Sean O'Sullivan. Documentary, 30 min.

From the Director:
It is a short twenty-seven minute documentary that tells the story of Dr Halina Rotstein, a dedicated doctor, who graduated from the University of Warsaw’s Medical Faculty in 1930, left medicine for a few years to bring up four children after marrying a wealthy Polish-Jewish industrialist, before being drawn back into medicine by the urgency of the Second World War.
Her Jewish husband, considered an obvious target for the N**i invaders due to his prominence, tried to escape but was caught by the Soviets and sent to work in the USSR. Halina was left with her children to fend for herself and as a volunteer doctor treated hundreds of soldiers and civilians who flooded the makeshift field hospital where she worked.
Once Poland had been conquered by the N**is and their Soviet allies, she began working at the Jewish Old Order Hospital in Warsaw which was soon to be forcibly relocated to the newly created Jewish ghetto. There, she experienced the horrors of ghetto life first-hand, the violence, the typhoid and typhus epidemics and the mass starvation. Attempting with very few means to help her patients during long days in the ghetto hospital wards, Halina read bedtime stories in the evenings to her children living in misery, starving and sick, in a dark hospital basement.

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PHENOMENON by Małgorzata Kowalczyk-Nentwig. Documentary, 94 min.

From the Director: In the early 1990s, in crisis-stricken Poland, a controversial TV star Jurek Owsiak responds to the plea of two doctors. They desperately need money for medical equipment. Owsiak starts a fundraiser and, consequently, creates the largest charity organization in the country, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Over the next two decades, the Orchestra grows stronger with Polish democracy, mixing charity with rock music and a hippie ethos. Przystanek Woodstock, an event that is intended to be a free music festival for Orchestra volunteers, has become the largest free festival in Europe, celebrating the ideals of rock'n'roll.

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SARA'S JOURNEY by Pavel Vogler, Sara Vogler. Documentary, 8 min.

From the Director:
For Sara Vogler, adversity isn't necessarily a bad thing - she sees it as an opportunity to grow, adapt, and overcome. This film documents Sara's journey with her involvement with CrossFit and various different competitions. Her recent involvement with Santa Clarita Valley CrossFit gave her motivation and encouragement to know that anything is possible.

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SHE WINS by Zbigniew Gajzler. Documentary, 47 min.

From the Director:
A small town alcoholic faces her demons in order to break the chain of addiction and save her daughter from the same fate.

*

THEATRE WITHOUT AUDIENCE by Pawel Kocambasi. Documentary art film, 74 min.

From the Director:
The founder of the Gießen School, ATW, coined the term "postdramatic theater" in post-war Europe for a theater form that has no definition. The documentary film THEATER WITHOUT AUDIENCE, formally a post-drama, emphasizes and strengthens the values of democracy today.

*

FOLLOWERS by Jakub Radej, short film, 29 min
From the Director:
How far can Adam, a student of a prestigious high school, go to get the number of his followers up? What can he show live online to attract the largest audience? In Jakub Radej’s film, a Polish school becomes the arena of events that seem unlikely, albeit not impossible, in Poland.
! Mature audience is strongly advised!

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THE MAGNIFICENT THREE by Stefan Krasowski. Documentary film, 53 min.

From the Director:
The documentary portrays the life of Józef Haller and two other prominent figures that are highly meritorious for the Pomerania region: Stanisław Dąbek and Józef Unrug.

Not too often we have a chance to discover the true powers behind the scenes of history in such a clear depiction of related facts of Polish struggle for freedom. This is an eye opener to those who didn’t know and a comfy reassurance of truth for those who knew.
- Marek Dzida

*

WINGS OF THE ODER by Graham Steele. Documentary film, 15 min.

From the Director:
Growing up near the Oder in Poland, Piotr Chara spent most of his childhood in and around the river and shores. Later, Piotr noticed a decline in the river and its inhabitants. Climate change and unintended consequences had negatively impacted the once thriving shores - specifically the wildlife. Wetland birds – terns and oystercatchers – were decreasing in numbers due to difficulty nesting. Their habitats were compromised, making them easy prey for predators. Deeply affected by seeing the birds unable to make nests, Piotr researched solutions and started an organization that builds floating nests for the birds. Also an award winning photographer, Piotr films the birds as part of his studies and reports his findings to The Foundation of the Green Valley of the Oder and Warta.

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600 SQUARE METERS OF MEMORIES Marta Bogdańska, Karolina Sobel. Documentary film, 55 min.

From the Directors:
‘This film is about a place that taught us how to be together, how to experience joys and failures, how to challenge rules and dispute discipline, explore our own and each others' boundaries. During all this process, we were also learning how to sing, dance, tap dance and be on stage. The film shows how this way of upbringing affected us. It recalls childhood stories and shows how they translate into today's reality,’ says one of the participants in the film.

‘600 Square Meters of Memories’ is a documentary, showing the history of 'Pantera', Poland's first amateur musical theater for children and youth, and the institution founded on it, the local center of culture called ‘Dorożkarnia’.

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BIG LITTLE WORDS by Mariusz Brozek. Short film, 13 min.

From the Director:
The main heroine, Suzie, is fed up with a male voice-over
telling her what to do and deciding about her story. She fires
the narrator, so no one disturbs her free will. She is a young,
educated, and independent woman. But freedom comes with
responsibility and it turns out that it's not that easy to decide
on one's story. The first moments of freedom are pure
pleasure, but can quickly turn into a bad hangover with a
severe headache. Isolation and breakup between the two
genders bring Suzie and the narrator pain, but also a new
perspective.

*

DISGRACE by Tomasz Gąsiorowski. Short film, 26 min.

From the Director:
Wiktoria is an early-pregnant 20-year-old girl whose everyday life is defined by exhausting work at a wedding house, as well as taking care of her sick Grandfather. She seeks support from her brother, who eventually comes to relieve her of her duties.

The revealing tale of this story may shock you – however, it will provide an avalanche of thoughts and questions. This movie is a test for anyone interested in being truly surprised. The grandfather role is portrayed by the legend of Polish cinema, Franciszek Pieczka.
- Marek Dzida

*

EVERYTHING FOR YOU by Anna Drozdek. Short film, 12 min.

From the Director:
Clever Ala (12) and well-behaved Marysia (12) are school friends.
Marysia is controlled by her parents but Ala has to take care of herself as her mum is depressed and absent from her daughter’s life.
The difficult situation at Ala's home puts the girls' friendship to the test.

*

MIRACLES HAPPEN ELSEWHERE by Wes Tomasz Cieśla. Short film, 19 min.

From the Director:
Paweł is an insular and complex writer. His longtime partner has left him and he's coping by doing the only thing that distracts him from the breakup - his work. The story that Paweł chooses to write features an idolized version of himself, who goes on a journey of self-discovery through his interaction with the characters he has created. Paweł eventually gets interrupted in the writing of his story when someone knocks on the door of his apartment. It's his ex-partner, Jenna. Paweł now has to choose the ending to his own story, but how is he going to react to this twist in the tale?

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PORCELAIN by Krzysztof Aleszczyk. Short film, 28 min.

From the Director:
In life, we all start out with dreams and aspirations – the world seems full of possibility and wonder. As we get older, reality sets in. Some of us don’t realize it before it’s too late, but those who do find that everything carries a price. Life becomes a struggle for balance – social life, friendships and family compete with an endless cycle of bills, rent, and work.

Whether we admit it or not, we all want to believe that there is true love out there for every one of us. Someone we are bound to by invisible strings of fate. Someone who understands us in a way where life becomes a journey of growing together, and encouraging that growth. But what happens when you have to choose between your soulmate and your dream? Which do you choose? Does there have to be a choice? This is the main struggle our character, Lauren, faces in Porcelain.

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PINEAPPLE PIZZA by Dorian Czapla. Short film, social comedy, 4 min.

From the Director:
A group of friends orders pizza for dinner, but when one of them orders pizza with pineapple they start arguing whether it is acceptable or not.

Must see short! Have you ever wondered – how the simple pleasure of having a pizza relates to absolute honesty and bravery of articulation? This is a perfect answer illustrated by this drama short.
- Marek Dzida

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SHOW IDENTITY by Jonah Greenstein. Short film, 5 min.

From the Director:
A love letter to cinema, Show Identity celebrates intergenerational connection. Stills of the filmmaker's life feature collaborations with Laura Poitras, and his partner and frequent muse, professor Martin H. Krieger. They watch the Academy Awards at the Oscar party for All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, borrowing its intertwined style to tell the story.

*

SINCERITY by Adam Porębowicz. Short film, 30 min.

From the Director:
A hot summer afternoon, residential district of large blocks of flats. Four friends on the threshold of adulthood spend a day together while parents are absent. A party that seems ordinary at first begins to lose its carefree appearance. It turns into a mutual attempt of covering up with words something that everyone senses, but no one wants to talk about openly.

Is it shyness... or maybe shame? Maybe it's fear? No-one knows exactly. It seems to be a Polish dilemma – or, is it a quality of grace, or simple politeness?
Fantastic film to digest and learn from. Highly recommended!
- Marek Dzida.

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STAGNANT by Konrad Kultys. Short film, 18 min.

From the Director:
Tough skinhead Adam ignores his disability, despite it he tries to dominate his loved ones.
A decision by his caring brother to change jobs pushes Adam to reconsider his situation and face up to his own limitations.

A film that needs fasten seatbelts while watching! This ride will take you to a place where otherwise you would never go on your own. Superb!
- Marek Dzida

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BEFORE AFTER by Filip Bojarski. Experimental film, art film, 20 min.

From the Director:
A collection of portraits presenting characters who try to face their own numbness in internal conversations.

*

THE SEARCH OF A BROKEN ANGEL by Alex Kruz. Experimental Film, 71 min.

From the Director:
A modern love letter. Sam Ares, an overly spiritual vegetarian womanizer in New York is troubled by dreams he does not understand. He searches for his purpose and to put together the pieces of the puzzle he is being given. Kristina, an overly practical meat loving artist is haunted by visions and dreams of a man she does not know. They often share the same places at different times knowing the other is out there somewhere.

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