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ART OF DISAPPEARING

POLISH TITLE: SZTUKA ZNIKANIA

An unknown story of a Haitian vodou priest, Amon, who visited the People’s Republic of Poland  in 1980 with a group of Haitians invited by the theatre of Jerzy Grotowski. Here, his Polish roots were reborn. His ancestors, Polish legionaries, took part in liberating Haiti from slavery 200 years before. Amon feels that he should pay his debt and do something for his second fatherland so he decides to stay in Poland. All is leading to martial law and Amon tries to change the course of history. He sees that general Jaruzelski is possessed by Baron Samedi – a bad daemon that causes stiffness, eye congestion and the necessity to wear sunglasses. In December 1981 Amon conducts a vodou ceremony to take the spell off the general, free his soul and stop the Soviet tanks… A surprising view on socialism through the eyes of a stranger form a different culture.

TRAILER
GENRE:
documentary
COUNTRYI:
Poland
RUNNING TIME:
50'
YEAR:
DIRECTING:
Bartek Konopka, Piotr Rosołowski
SCRIPT:
Bartek Konopka, Piotr Rosołowski
DOP:
Piotr Rosołowski
MUSIC:
Maciej Cieślak
PRODUCER:
Instytut im. Adama Mickiewicza, Otter Films

Bartek Konopka »

Oscar nominated for the “Rabbit a la Berlin” (2009) documentary that was shown at more than 70 festivals, received a dozen prizes and had been sold to 40 countries. His feature fiction debut “Fear of Falling” (2011) premiered at Montreal IFF (awarded at Mannheim, Mumbai, Lecce, Vincennes, Gdynia). Released in cinemas in France, Spain, Iran and  Poland. Author of many documentaries and couple of fictions that gained an international acclaim. Bartek is a graduate of film studies at the Jagiellonian University Krakow and Film Directing at the Silesian University in Katowice. Member of European Film Academy and the Board of Polish Film Institute.

Piotr Rosołowski »

Graduated as a cinematographer from the Katowice Film School. Awarded with a scholarship of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Co-director of the documentary The Art of Disappearing (premiere at Visions du Réel 2013), co-author of Rabbit à la Berlin – Academy Award nominated short documentary film. Director of Photography of many awarded feature and short films, among them: On the line dir. Reto Caffi – Academy Award nominated short fiction and “Nowhere in Europe“ dir. Kerstin Nickig – main prize at the Sarajevo Human Rights Film Festival. He was a participant of European Film Academy Master Class 2006, Ex Oriente Film 2005 and Documentary Campus 2007. 
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