Ten Polish productions have been selected for two international competitions. Competing for the Golden Horn and a shortcut to the Oscars are Tomasz Wolski, Weronika Mliczewska, and two first-time filmmakers: Michał Pietrak and Natalia Koniarz. Previously recognised in Kraków and at numerous other international festivals, Tomasz Wolski returns with another story narrative crafted from archival footage. His <\/span>The Big Chief<\/i><\/b> is a gripping chronicle of an ex-spy’s painful entrapment within his hostile homeland, separated from family abroad. Awarded at the festival in Thessaloniki, <\/span>Child of Dust<\/i><\/b> is about a similar need which is to reunite with a family member. Weronika Mliczewska’s film tells the emotional story of Sangu’s quest to meet his American father after half a century. His journey is hindered by cultural and linguistic barriers as well as the traumatic legacy of the Vietnam War. <\/span><\/p>\n\n The 65th Krakow Film Festival will also see the world premieres of two striking debut full-length documentaries. <\/span>Natalia Koniarz’s film immerses viewers into the harrowing depths of a Bolivian mine. <\/span>Silver<\/i><\/b> is a harrowing portrait of poverty and exploitation that affects all residents of Potosí. In turn, <\/span>Do Painters Die Elsewhere<\/i><\/b>, directed by Michał Pietrak, is a visually rich, impressionistic depiction of an outsider artist whose most difficult life experience was grappling with the terminal illness of his beloved wife. <\/span><\/p>\n\n A total of six short films will be competing for Golden Dragons and a potential Oscar qualification. Screened in-competition at IDFA, <\/span>Bloodline<\/i><\/b> by Wojciech Węglarz follows a lost European bison trapped by a barrier at the Poland-Belarus border and unable to return to its herd. Meanwhile, archival recordings form the foundation of <\/span>As Long as They Don’t Find Us<\/i><\/b> by Maja Górczak, exploring another wall, the one surrounding the Warsaw Ghetto and its impact on the life of a certain actress.<\/span><\/p>\n\n In addition to the Golden Hobby-Horse, Daria Kopiec will also be competing for two Golden Dragons having produced two short productions this year. The first is the provocative <\/span>It’s All Because of Her<\/i><\/b>. The film follows a possessive mother unable to move past her husband’s death who desperately tries to forge a connection with her teenage son. Artem Rachkelyuk’s moving <\/span>Look Homeward<\/i><\/b> will also be competing for the title of Best Short Film. It tells the story of a Ukrainian teenager residing in Poland with his sister. The boy learns that their father has been conscripted.<\/span><\/p>\n\n The Pool or Death of Gold Fish<\/i><\/b>, is the second entry by Daria Kopiec. The production is a visually captivating animation rich in fairy-tale elements. The other Polish animation film invited to the international competition depicts a world with too many possibilities. The protagonist of Paulina Ziółkowska’s dynamic <\/span>Tears<\/i><\/b> is overwhelmed by endless possibilities, rendering decision-making a near-impossible task.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Journeys to the Middle East<\/b><\/p>\n\n Natalia Koniarz and Weronika Mliczewska aren’t the only filmmakers transporting festival-goers to distant corners of the world. In <\/span>A Song of Humble Beauty<\/i><\/b> Anna Konik guides audiences through the streets of Karachi and its surrounding villages, where artisans uphold traditional crafts and musicians chant their mantras. Meanwhile, directors Natalia Pietsch and Grzegorz Piekarski invite us to Turkey in <\/span>The Town That Drove Away<\/i><\/b>.<\/span> They visit the historic Hasankeyf shortly before its thousand-year legacy is submerged beneath water to facilitate the construction of a dam. The short drama <\/span>Motherland<\/i><\/b>, directed by Gor Arushanyan, explores the topic of forced migration. It’s the story of a man who lives with his disabled mother and is faced with an agonising decision amid the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Next in line <\/span>Quaher<\/i><\/b>, directed by Nada Khalifa, follows a Palestinian returning from Canada to his homeland to celebrate his sister’s newborn child, honouring a cherished tradition. <\/span><\/p>\n\n Journey into Childhood<\/b><\/p>\n\n Agnieszka Popińska invites us to see a nativity play. In her animated documentary <\/span>The Show<\/i><\/b>, she captures preschoolers as they rehearse the titular performance.<\/span> The onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine coincides with the fifth birthday of <\/span>Inga<\/i><\/b>. Krzysztof Kopczyński sensitively portrays the young girl, who now lives in Poland with her visually impaired parents and their beloved pets. Despite seemingly adapting well to living in a new country, actively engaging with the local Ukrainian community, a yearning for their homeland lingers beneath the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Journeys into Past… and Future<\/b><\/p>\n\n It’s an extremely painful film. Rafał Łysak in <\/span>Two Cigarettes<\/i><\/b> returns home to confront a past tragedy. He is not traveling alone; a certain rebellious boy accompanies him. In the animated short <\/span>Dear Leo Sokolosky<\/i><\/b> Weronika Szyma delves into a stack of letters left by her late great-grandfather. During the war, he was forcibly sent to a labour camp where he met the eponymous Leo. Following her ancestor’s footsteps, she visits the German town where the friends met and endured wartime hardships. <\/span>Reenactment<\/i><\/b>, directed by Marcin Strauchold, also transports us back to World War II. Male-dominated historical reenactments start to bore the film’s protagonist, prompting the girl to find a place for herself in new stories. <\/span>In the Veins<\/i><\/b> by Maciej Tyburski begins with the removal of a commemorative plaque honouring a certain historic figure and culminates in a touching Polish-French friendship between two young men. Zuzanna Heller’s animated short <\/span>Hello, Headquarters<\/i><\/b> deftly captures the absurdities of life in communist Poland, deeply resonating with anyone who has experienced contemporary bureaucratic chaos<\/span><\/p>\n\n Damian Kosowski, whose short film was screened at Sundance, reflects the post-war reality in Ukraine. <\/span>People&Things<\/i><\/b> follows a mother who travels with her daughter and new partner to identify the remains of her husband, a Ukrainian soldier. Did the things she saw really belong to the father of her child?<\/span><\/p>\n\n Staying at Home<\/b><\/p>\n\n What is a home, really? Directors Aleksandra and Julia Powalacz explore this question in their contemplative documentary <\/span>Dom\/Home<\/i><\/b>, taking us on a trip into the mountains. For renowned polar explorers and alpine skiers, journeying the trails gives a sense of grounding, akin to the comfort others find at their homes. Two animators Kinga Kociarz and Alicja Liss, by contrast, confine us within four walls. In Kociarz’s film, <\/span>Peace to This House<\/i><\/b>, the titular house is consumed by illness, trapping its inhabitants in a repetitive cycle of trauma. <\/span>Cold Home<\/i><\/b> similarly entraps a mother and daughter. The women are bound together by a difficult relationship, silence and suppressed emotions, making genuine connection impossible. The couple from Jakub Prysak’s short film also faces severe communication issues. In <\/span>Nothing Else<\/i><\/b> their relationship is put to the test. The girl is seriously ill and her beloved cannot handle this situation. To make matters worse, items start to disappear from their large home in mysterious circumstances. The duo in Wojciech Staroń’s latest documentary are perfectly attuned to one another. Acclaimed filmmaker Bogdan Dziworski and his cherished editor Agnieszka Bojanowska have been longtime friends and collaborators. In <\/span>The Passion of<\/i><\/b> Agnieszka<\/b> we are offered a rare chance to accompany them in her home and take a look at her final project. <\/span><\/p>\n\n How many lamps do you have at home? The protagonist of Mikołaj Janik’s short documentary owns quite a few and his collection continues to expand. In <\/span>The Light of Immortality<\/i><\/b>, we meet a man who is well aware of his unusual obsession. Paweł from Tadeusz Chudy’s documentary could easily collect medals and trophies. Given his success as a successful and celebrated boxer, he has quite a few to his name. Yet what he lacks is a place to call his own. His half-sister inherits their grandmother’s apartment and invites him to live outside the children’s home they’ve stayed at for years. Will Paweł decide it is time to live <\/span>On My Own Terms<\/i><\/b> or remain institutionalised? Agnieszka Kalińska’s documentary empathetically addresses Generation Z. In <\/span>All the Colors of Youth<\/i><\/b>, teenagers invite viewers into their homes to discuss their challenges and hardships they must endure. Showcased at Annecy, Jakub Krzyszpin’s animated film <\/span>The Crooked Head<\/i><\/b> portrays youths navigating addiction and everyday struggles. A young resident of an oppressive housing estate cloaked in mining smoke shaves his head and dons a tracksuit to confront the shadow of his older brother.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Journeying Outside<\/b><\/p>\n\n Aga and Bartek finally enjoy a rare evening off. The couple is meeting their friends for dinner, only to hear them announce their breakup. The couple from Olga Kałagate’s <\/span>Just<\/i><\/b> is visibly shaken but treats this event as a catalyst for reflection on their own long-term relationship. The depression of the director’s father in <\/span>Dance with Me<\/i><\/b>,<\/b> Dad<\/b> impacts everyone around him, particularly his daughter, who attempts to coax him into deeper conversation or even just leaving the house. Małgorzata Goździk tells a seemingly simple story that many families can relate to. For celebrated actor Krzysztof Globisz, stepping outside after a stroke symbolises his readiness to return to the stage. Despite suffering from aphasia, he resumes teaching at drama school and performing. Director Michał Hytroś accompanies him at a rehearsal for a stage play. The result of their collaboration is the unique documentary <\/span>The Whale Song<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n The National Competition is also going to feature two animated shorts about individuality and breaking norms. In Janina Księska’s <\/span>Horde<\/i><\/b>, a mesmerised crowd unwittingly marches to an isolated tower only to begin dancing in trance-like obedience at the behest of a mysterious figure at its top. Amidst this hypnotic chaos there’s only a single indifferent individual who resists the collective frenzy. <\/span>Birds of Paradise<\/i><\/b>, the latest animated film by Tomasz Ducki’s” places… bird droppings at its centre. A flock is building their habitat from this peculiar material but as time goes on, they get bored of this muddy landscape. A mysterious object penetrates their harmonious world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.krakowfilmfestival.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wielki-szef.jpg\")
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The film’s style allows audiences to freely observe the delightful trials and tribulations of staging the production while exploring fundamental questions posed by a group of six-year-olds. Michał Grzegorz Cysewski’s documentary <\/span>JUMP!<\/i><\/b> follows slightly older protagonists. Magda adores horseback riding but can no longer pursue her passion. Her solution arrives in the increasingly popular Polish pastime of hobby horsing. The girl takes part in a competition though is faced with growing doubts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>