Five films will be screened in July. They will mainly be Scandinavian productions co-produced with European countries, as well as an English rock-and-roll comedy. The programme is rich, featuring good, engaging stories.
A film by Norwegian director Marius Horst, “The Island of the Doomed” (Norway, France, Sweden, Poland 2010), based on a true story, looks particularly promising. It tells the story of a nineteenth-century reform school for boys. The institution was originally established to rehabilitate and educate the juvenile offenders sent there. It turned out, however, that they were mainly used for labour and subjected to physical and psychological abuse. In 1915, a rebellion broke out at the facility. The film is based on those events.
“The Forgiveness of Blood” (Albania, Denmark, USA, Italy 2011) is a film by Joshua Marston, director of “Maria Full of Grace” — the story of a girl who works as a drug mule. In his latest film, Maraton tells a story of revenge. A father of two becomes involved in a neighbourly quarrel during which a man is killed. The man denies his guilt and flees the town. According to the rules of the Kanun (local law sanctified by tradition), the murdered man’s family may now take bloody revenge on any man from the killer’s family if he leaves the house.
The film “You Instead” (United Kingdom 2011) is a comedy based on an intriguing plot. Two musicians, a woman and a man, get into a silly argument while waiting to perform, and a passing preacher hears them. In the name of love, he handcuffs them together and then disappears with the key. Set and filmed during the T in the Park festival in Scotland, this rock-and-roll romantic comedy is an explosive mixture of foul language, lust, mud and loud music. The film perfectly captures the spirit of music festivals and major concerts.
The film “Nothing Bad Can Happen” (Denmark 2010) tells the story of four lost souls and four lonely lives. It presents the stories of people who cannot cope with passing time and acceptance. Ingeborg regrets that age has destroyed her attractiveness. Her daughter Anna cannot come to terms with losing one breast. She wants to feel desired again, so she chooses the simplest route: pornography. Anders exposes himself to women, gradually ruining his life. His son Jonas is a male prostitute. He accepts everyone: women, men, old people, young people and couples. They are all lonely in their own way; they all long for love and closeness. Life can be painfully funny, so eventually their paths will cross in the most unexpected place.
The fifth and final film in July will be the love story with a touch of black humour “Skyscraper” (Denmark 2011). It is the story of the blind Edith and the outcast Jon. Everyone makes fun of the girl, and she has only one dream: to lose her virginity at the upcoming party. Jon is the outcast of a sleepy town. As a child, he deprived his father of both his authority and his manhood. Jon’s mother, Vivi, defends her beloved only son, yet castrates pigs and empties bottle after bottle with even greater enthusiasm. She is a terrible veterinarian and an even worse housekeeper. Everyone knows that all of this is Jon’s fault.
A pass for all five films costs PLN 25.
(information: BOK-MCC/ii)