13th Hommage à Kieślowski Film Festival
August 23-25, 2024
On the 28th anniversary of the death of Krzysztof Kieślowski, one of the most outstanding filmmakers in the history of European cinema, the In Situ Contemporary Art Foundation announces this year’s edition of the Hommage à Kieślowski film festival. This year, it will traditionally take place in the picturesque setting of Sokołowsko, Lower Silesia, on August 23-25. In addition to screenings, meetings, and discussions, the festival will be enriched by a new element – a competition for film school students.
The festival is symbolically dedicated to the figure of the renowned Polish director, Krzysztof Kieślowski. The program of the 13th edition will include many sections and screenings related primarily to the latest Polish and European cinema,as well as film classics. Hommage à Kieślowski is an invitation not only to screenings but also to discussions with filmmakers and film experts; it is also an invitation to an emotional and intellectual, transnational film journey.
Each year, the festival program focuses on an important idea, strongly connected to what is happening in the world,referring to the values that the festival strives to cultivate and which fit into the “philosophy of social mindfulness” of its patron.
This year, the organizers of the event focus on the slogan “We must help each other.” It is a thought of universal power that focuses not only on the urgent need to spread help but also on the associated concrete action, the transition to practice. “We must help each other” (Musíme si pomáhat) is also the title of a highly valued and popular Czech film by Jan Hrebejk from 2000, to which we would like to return after more than 20 years.
The festival program will be full of screenings of Kieślowski’s films, including the famous “Decalogue” and the “Three Colors” trilogy, which brought him international recognition. Additionally, selected works of Czech cinema will be presented, allowing participants to gain a deeper understanding of the influences and context in which Kieślowski’s work was created.
-This year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the production of the documentary film ‘X-ray’. In this short 1974 documentary, the Polish director and festival patron tries to delve into the world of people suffering from lung disease.This is a topic very close to his heart due to his father Roman’s long-term illness. Some of the footage was shot in Sokołowsko. In 2024, it is also 40 years since the start of production of one of the most famous features of the duo Krzysztof Kieślowski & Krzysztof Piesiewicz (a film that actually started their long and extremely fruitful collaboration) – ‘No End’. These two films will be shown and discussed with special guests during this year’s edition of the festival,” says Diana Dąbrowska, the festival’s artistic director.
It is worth emphasizing that the program will also include documentary and feature films by a wide variety of creators that fit into the ideas of this year’s festival. We have already selected titles such as the Berlin Golden Bear-winning “Adamant” by Nicolas Philibert, “Green Border” by Agnieszka Holland, “The Wall” by Kasia Smutniak, “Shards” by Beata Dzianowicz, and “Film for Aliens” by Piotr Stasik.
A new addition to this year’s edition is a competition for film school students, aimed at discovering new talents and encouraging young filmmakers to explore themes close to Kieślowski’s philosophy. This is a unique opportunity for young filmmakers to showcase their work to a wider audience and receive valuable advice from renowned figures in the film industry.
Guests at the festival in recent years have included: Irena Strzałkowska, Grażyna Szapołowska, Olaf Lubaszenko, Paweł Łoziński, Artur Barciś, Dariusz Jabłoński, Peter Jansson, Judith Colell, Xavery Żuławski, Sebastian Fabijański, Petr Sedlacek, Małgorzata Imielska, Michał Sikorski, Bartosz Blashke, Tomasz Habowski, Łukasz Ronduda, Magdalena Łazarkiewicz, Janusz Zaorski, Andrzej Wolf, Piotr Jaxa Kwiatowski, Marta Hryniak, Dorota Stalińska, Marzena Trybała, Marcin Bortkiewicz, Anna Osmólska-Mętrak, Przemysław Wielgosz, Michał Oleszczyk, Adam Bobik, Daniel Stopa, Michael Brooke, Leigh Singer, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Gabriela Muskała, Urszula Lesiak, Łukasz Maciejewski, Jacek Petrycki, and Wioletta Buhl.
Detailed information about the festival program, the student competition, and tickets will be available on the official festival website www.hommageakieslowski.pl and on the festival’s social media.
