“THE BALCONY MOVIE” AMONG DOCUMENTARIES WITH A CHANCE FOR AN OSCAR

The film by Paweł Łoziński has found itself among 144 documentaries that made it to the next stage of the Oscar competition.

The Academy Award, also known as the Oscar is a film award presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It was first awarded in 1929.

A list of 144 feature-length documentaries that may be nominated for the award has just been announced. Among them is The Balcony Movie by Paweł Łoziński, which won at the It's All True festival several months back. Thanks to the victory at the Brazilian festival, which is on the prestigious list of Oscar-qualifying events, Łoziński's film made it to the so-called long list of titles considered for Oscar nominations without having to meet any additional conditions.

In his film, Łoziński seeks to answer the question: Can anyone be a film protagonist? Can you fit the entire world in a single frame? Director Paweł Łoziński watches people from his balcony. Both young and old, they walk by smiling, sad, thoughtful, staring at their phones. Residents of the neighbourhood, or casual visitors, ordinary passers-by. The author approaches them, asks questions, talks about their life and how they're doing. Standing there with his camera for over 2 years, he created a place for dialogue, a secular confessional where everyone can stop and tell others about themselves. Every person carries their own riddles and secrets. They can't be easily labelled. Life can't be imagined. The Balcony Movie is a radical return to the early days of cinema, when it was people who approached the camera. Perhaps one just needs to stop and stay a while to see more?

A list of all titles can be found here.