POLISH DOCUMENTARIES NOTICED BY THE EFA
The European Film Academy has just shared a list of the 14 most powerful full-length documentaries of the past season. Among the selected titles, there were as many as three Polish co-productions.
The European Film Academy is an initiative of European directors – co-financed by the European Commission and once headed by Ingmar Bergman. From merely 40 members originally, the academy has grown to more than 4,600 people from the film industry. Since 1988, the European Film Awards – the European equivalent of the Oscars – have been awarded in their name.
Among the highlighted films there were as many as three Polish co-productions. First one is Apolonia, Apolonia by Lea Glob, which tells the story of the charismatic artist Apolonia Sokol. The result is a fascinating portrait that covers 13 years from the life of a young woman who tries to find her place in the art world. The new film by Maciek Hamela was also recognised. In The Rearview is a collective portrait composed of the experiences of people who have one goal: to find a safe haven. In the van, their temporary asylum, differences of gender, age, skin colour, physical ability, origin, identity, views, or beliefs fade away altogether. There's also a film by Alisa Kovalenko. Her We Will Not Fade Away shows Donbas in the year 2019. The prospect of a new Russian invasion looms in the air, while the sounds of gunfire from the previous one can still be heard in the distance.
A list of all titles can be found here.