The Hamlet Syndrome
Poland, Germany2022documentary85'Międzynarodowy konkurs filmów dokumentalnych (2022)Konkurs polski (2022)
‘To be or not to be’ – these words take on new meanings in wartime conditions. A few months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a group of young people prepare a play in which Shakespeare will voice their own doubts, fears and dreams. In the background, there are various experiences of the ‘Maidan generation’. Some of them are processing traumas after their return from the war in Donbas, others are facing questions about what the Ukrainian struggle is really about and how their country should change. Life, theatre and cinema blend into one for a moment turning into a thrilling psychodrama.
Awards
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2022 Documentary competition
Jury Special MentionSpecial Mention
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2022 National competition
Student AwardSpecial Award
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2022 National competition
The award for the best Polish filmGolden Hobby-Horse
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2022 National competition
The Award for the best short and documentary films producer in PolandSpecial Award
- directed by
- Elwira Niewiera
Director and scriptwriter born in 1976. She is the author of well-known and award-winning documentaries made together with Piotr Rosołowski, such as The Domino Effect (awarded with the Golden Horn and the Golden Hobby Horse at the 54th Krakow Film Festival as well as the Golden Dove at the IFF DOK Leipzig) and The Prince and the Dybbuk (including the Golden Lion for the best documentary on cinema at the 74th Venice Film Festival and the Polish Film Award 2019 for the Best Documentary Film). In her artistic work, she focuses primarily on political, social and cultural transformations in Eastern Europe. She is the winner of the Young German Cinema Award 2020 and the prestigious American Chicken & Egg Award 2021.
Piotr Rosołowski
Director and cinematographer born in 1977. He graduated from the Radio and Television Faculty in Katowice and received a scholarship from the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. He is a co-author of the Oscar-nominated documentary Rabbit a la Berlin and a co-director of The Prince and the Dybbuk awarded at the 74th Venice Film Festival. He has worked on the cinematography of many award-winning documentaries and feature films, including the Oscar-nominated short film On the Line directed by Reto Caffi. He won the Young German Cinema Award in 2020, as well as the awards of the Society of Cinematographers, the PSC and the American Cinematographer Magazine Award for his cinematography for the documentary The Wall of Shadows directed by Eliza Kubarska.
- cinematography
- Piotr Rosołowski
- script
- Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosołowski
- protagonists
- Slavik Gavianets, Katya Kotliarova, Roman Kryvdyk, Rodion Shuygin-Grekalov, Oxana Cherkashyna, Roza Sarkisian
- music
- John Gürtler, Jan Miserre
- sound
- Marcin Lenarczyk, Jarosław Sadowski
- editing
- Agata Cierniak
- production
- Magdalena Kamińska, Agata Szymańska (Balapolis)
- Photo
- Trailer