What film will be the Polish nominee for an Oscar? Three titles in the game!

The committee that will select the Polish Oscar nominee includes: producer of the Oscar-winning film “Ida.” Ewa Buczynska (Chairman), Producer of the Oscar-nominated film “Corpus Christi.” Anita HickinbothamScreenwriter and producer of the Oscar-nominated film “IO” Ewa PiaskowskaOscar winner for “Schindler’s List,” set designer Alan StarskyDirector and screenwriter Maciej Sliski Director of the Polish Film Institute – Radoslaw Schmegulski.

One film that has a good chance of representing Poland in competition for an Oscar next year is “area of ​​interests” Jonathan Glazer. The film, which had its world premiere at Cannes (where it took home the event’s Grand Prix), recently premiered at the Toronto festival.

“With this festival, but it already starts with the award in Cannes – the Oscar campaign for this film begins,” stressed producer Ewa Buczynska, who is also the head of the committee that selects the Polish Oscar nominee. Statement of the Polish Film Institute.

Puszczyńska also recalled that although “Strefa Biznesu” is a Polish-British co-production, the entire film crew was Polish and the film was entirely shot in our country.

“It is not only financed – support from the institute, both grants and incentives – but also a very significant creative contribution. The entire crew was Polish, and the film was shot 100 percent in Poland. That’s why we can fully support this film because it’s so important,” says Ewa Puszczyńska. “These are large parts of Poland.”

Does the producer’s statement indicate that the decision to cast the Polish candidate has already been made?

“The Trading District” is a harrowing tale of domestic idyll in the shadow of the crematorium, namely the family life of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss. The main roles will be played by Sandra Höller (Hodig Höss) and Christian Friedel (Rudolf Höss). The film’s director of photography is Łukasz Żal, a two-time Oscar nominee, who received a special Variety Artisan Award in Toronto a few days ago.

The Variety Artisan Award recognizes distinguished artists whose outstanding work has improved the world of film and entertainment. Previous winners include: cinematographer Roger Deakins, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, and musician Terence Blanchard.

Another strong candidate to represent Poland in Oscar contention is the film adaptation of “Peasants” directed by Hugh Welchman and DK Welchman (aka Dorota Kobiela). The world premiere of this production took place at the Toronto Festival and received an enthusiastic response from the press. film “peasants” It was made using animation technique.

The painting consists of 40,000 film frames – images drawn by the painters working on the film, imitating, among other things, the style of Young Poland, and those who know Polish painting of this era will easily find references to Józef Chełmoński or Leon Wyczółkowski.

However, it is possible that “Chłopi”, like the duo’s previous film – “Vincent love.” – It will be nominated for an Academy Award in the category “Best Animated Feature Film.”

Why did the creators use the animation drawing technique again when working on the adaptation? “peasants”?

“We were looking for an animated sequel and didn’t want to make ‘Loving Vincent 2’. We wanted to explore what this technology could do, so why not turn a 1,000-page novel into a movie that’s less than two hours long?” – says Hugh Welshman.

“Animation allows us to create a world that you can immerse yourself in and feel. The technique we have chosen allows us to narrate the fast-paced events of Raymond’s novel, with all the richness of the actors’ creativity, as well as conveying the nuances of nature. We can provide a multi-page description of nature using a single image,” adds DK Welchman.

The third film the selection committee should consider is the award-winning In Venice “green border” Agnieszka Holland. The Polish director has already been nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for “Europe, Europe.” Her films also competed for an Oscar: “Bitter Harvest” (as a German actress) and “Into the Dark.” Holland’s name is well known in Hollywood.

However, the problem may be the fact that “Green Borders” is not financed by the Polish Film Institute and the director’s personal conflict with the director of the Polish Film Institute, Radoslaw Schmegulski.

“I asked (…) from the Polish Film Institute a routine certificate confirming that the film “Green Borders” is a Polish production, which is necessary for international agreements. We received a refusal under a procedural pretext that was never used, i.e. I understood,” said Agnieszka Holland. That I was not Polish enough, even though the film talks about the contemporary Polish era, or perhaps precisely because it was produced in Poland, in the Polish language, by Polish creators and with a Polish crew,” Onet said, revealing that she did not even come forward. Applied for money from the Polish Film Institute -U to implement the film “Green Border”.

However, Holland’s new project – a biography of Franz Kafka – applied for funding from the Polish Film Institute, but did not receive the money.

In an interview with Onet, the director of the Polish Film Institute, Radoslaw Schmigulski, spoke harshly about the Polish director. “I do not remember ever experiencing such a degree of slander, contempt and hatred that Ms. Holland expressed towards me. It is even difficult for me to understand that throughout my work at the Polish Film Institute, I supported her projects and she herself, the director, still points out the need to respect the dignity of others.” “.

“Director Schmegulski provoked me to make an ill-advised statement. I heard from him: ‘Franz Kafka is not worthy of Poland financing a film about him.’” Later, contrary to the facts, the director tried to prove the participation of Polish creators “was not enough. The film features a partly Polish cast and, above all, is an original project by a Polish director and was highly rated by a panel of Polish experts. I have always treated director Schmegulski with due respect, but here I ran into the problem. “Not having such respect for myself and for one of the most important artists of the 20th century,” Agnieszka Holland emphasized in an interview with the portal.

“I said something unpleasant to Mr. Schmegulsky under the influence of strong emotions, which there is no point in repeating now. I only said one sentence that could have been misunderstood. I apologized immediately and if the director is still offended, I repeat myself,” the director added. “Sincere apology. But a director’s sensitivity should not decide whether a particular film will receive state support.”