ODE TO JOY

Dir. Anna KAJEZAK-DAWID (1979; section Silesia); Jan KOMASA (1981; section Warsaw); Maciej MIGAS (1976; section Pomerania) , Polish/English subtitles, 2005

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Thu 7 June 2007 // 19:30 / Cinema

The movie is part of "The Polish Past, Present and Future by Polish Young Artist" event. Along with the movie there will be photo exhibition and slide show. "Ode to Joy" - Polish present reality is revealed by 3 directors of young generation for whom communist times are just vague memories from the childhood. Just as the protagonists in the movie young Polish people enter their adult life in capitalistic times, where only money counts. We have got 3 life stories set in 3 different parts of Poland and showing 3 visions of the same Polish brutal reality. Parents’ generation are either “losers” with no jobs or about to lose it, or “winners” with lots money but no morals and no mercy. Young people try to adapt in different ways but their “home” seems to offer no opportunities. And when everything fails the last recourse turns out to be a ticket to London. Search for love, search for a future, and eventually disillusionment; doesn’t it seem familiar? The movie won the Special Jury Prize at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival; was recently screened at the London Film Festival; and is the first Polish movie that succeeded to entered in official competition of the prestigious Rotterdam Film festival.