Within the Documentary Films Panorama non-competitive documentary movies with best cinematography are presented. This year 22 movies will be screened:



7109 KM
original title: 7109 km
director: Marcin Filipowicz
cinematographer: Weronika Bilska
country: Poland
year: 2008

A documentary about a journey of a young Pole on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Irkutsk at Lake Baikal. The aim of the journey is to meet Tanya – a girl the hero fell in love with a few months before while travelling across Siberia. He does not inform her about his visit to surprise her on her birthday. He does not even know whether he can find her there. He wants to test what is really between the two of them and find out if she still loves him. To do that, he travels 7109 kilometres.




ANDRZEJ WAJDA: LET'S SHOOT!
original title: Andrzej Wajda: Róbmy zdjęcie!
director: Maciej Cuske, Thierry Paladino, Marcin Sauter, Piotr Stasik
cinematographer: Maciej Cuske, Thierry Paladino, Marcin Sauter, Piotr Stasik
country: Poland
year: 2008

Andrzej Wajda: Let’s Shoot! is an extraordinary record of a few months of struggle on set, showing the atmosphere of work and a picture of the immense film machinery. At the same time, the film is an authentic and intimate portrait of the master of Polish cinema and an Oscar winner. 50 years after winning the Silver Palm in Cannes, we meet him directing one of the most important and personal films in his career, Katyń. During the shooting of the film, four young documentarians and his former students had a chance to observe closely the work of the master. They accompanied him in moments of tiredness, joy, failure, and conversations with people. Perhaps it is only on the set where one can find out what Andrzej Wajda is really like – extraordinary for his sensitivity, passion, great diligence and a feeling of mission.




BIG JOHN
original title: Blod & Ære
director: Håvard Bustnes
cinematographer: Nils P. Devold Midttun, Pål Aleksander Odden
country: Norway
year: 2008

“Big John” Klemetsen coaches his son Ole from childhood into becoming a professional boxer. Many shake their heads when the father sends his son, nicknamed “The Golden Viking”, into the ring against the most dangerous fighters in the world. However, team Klemetsen becomes a great success and signs a sensational professional contract with Emanuel Steward in Detroit. However, after a short period, “Big John” realizes that professional boxing in America is a very dangerous business. A character-driven documentary that revolves around the father-son relationship.




CAROUSEL GUYS
original title: Karuzelnicy
director: Jakub Piątek
cinematographer: Tomasz Ziółkowski
country: Poland
year: 2008

From March till October. From Easter till Corncob Day. Feasts, kermises, little towns and villages between Łódź and Biala Podlaska. Fat Zdzisio’s Funfair. Twenty men: alcoholics, divorcees, ex-criminals. A few moments from their tour.





DAY AND AN ETERNITY, A
original title: Ein Tag und eine Ewigkeit
director: Anna Hepp
cinematographer: Anna Hepp
country: Germany
year: 2009

At the age of 93, Dorothea says she has lived a full life. She welcomes the approach of death and prays to be delivered from decrepitude. Memories of the past are her only constant companions in the present. Her lifestyle spartan, Dorothea plans every minute carefully: morning gymnastics in bed, breakfast, checking the mail, afternoon nap. Her tiny, frail voice is full of girlish energy and delight, often betraying her cynical humour. Through black-and-white imagery and a specific rhythm, this documentary follows three rules: focus, reduction and accentuation. The camera remains close to Dorothea, who is always in the centre, with nothing to distract. However, a respectful distance is maintained. A Day and an Eternity is a film about the love of life, about people letting go and saying goodbye, and the dignified transcendence of the finite, found in the embrace of death.




DIARY OF THE END
original title: Diario del Fin
director: Juan Alejandro Ramírez
cinematographer: Juan Alejandro Ramírez
country: Peru
year: 2009

A woman facing a bleak future recounts her life in sketchy, seemingly random episodes. One by one, the scars and despair left by a life ridden with burdens and sacrifice, but little joy, inevitably emerge. Diary of the End is a visceral and moving account filled with brutally honest, yet liberating, confessions. It is permeated by a profound introspection and clarity of perception which seem to surface only in extreme, point-of-no-return situations.




LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER
original title: Długodystansowiec
director: Jacek Szarański
cinematographer: Dominik Zadęcki
country: Poland
year: 2008

A retired miner from Silesia is about to complete the second lap in his run around the globe. During forty eight hours of non-stop running he is able to cover 378 km, a distance from Bielsko-Biała to Warsaw. Until today, he has been asking himself the question of what would have happened had he not made a certain decision once facing a family tragedy.




FAR FROM GONE
original title: Far from gone
director: Barney Broomfield
cinematographer: Barney Broomfield
country: Zambia, UK
year: 2009

The civil war in Congo is by far the worst conflict since World War II, claiming the lives of 5 million people and creating even more refugees. Far From Gone is an intimate and moving portrayal of two Congolese refugees, Stephen and Boniface, who both found themselves in a desolate refugee camp in Zambia after narrowly escaping from their war torn country. For three years they were neighbours and radical preachers at their local church until Stephen was offered a new life in Europe. Far From Gone is not only a story about the break-up of a profound friendship and bond but a rare insight into the reality facing modern day refugees.




FOURTH MAN, THE
original title: Czwarty człowiek
director: Filip Cichecki, Krzysztof Kasior
cinematographer: Filip Cichecki
country: Poland
year: 2009

The Fourth Man is a story of a man who, years ago, escaped to the Bieszczady Mountains. Living in solitude, he makes charcoal. Solitude is his penance for the deeds he committed in the past. Three of the tar makers who used to work with him have already passed away and Zbyszek links their death to his conduct. Our story starts at the moment of hiring another worker for making charcoal. Is he going to be the Fourth Man?




HANASAARI A
original title: Hanasaari A
director: Hannes Vartiainen, Pekka Veikkolainen
cinematographer: Hannes Vartiainen, Pekka Veikkolainen
country: Finland
year: 2009

Hanasaari A is a documentary film about the changing cityscape of Helsinki, and the final moments of a coal-fired power plant. The old industrial environment is being destroyed to make space for modern housing units. The film is a combination of animation, live action cinematography, and graphic elements. It is based on 500 000 photographs taken during the final two years of the existence of the power plant.




ISOLATION
original title: Isolation
director: Joseph Bull, Luke Seomore
cinematographer: David Procter
country: UK
year: 2009

A quarter of British ex-soldiers sleep rough after returning home. An impressionistic portrait of the emotional and physical aftermath of war, Isolation follows photographer and ex-soldier Stuart Griffiths as he travels across England uncovering the stories behind the military statistics. This bold documentary explores the personal demons and uncertain futures faced by soldiers leaving the army. At a time when the numbers of soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is on the rise, Isolation deals with a serious and often overlooked problem in a personal and intimate manner.




LAST SEASON: SHAWAKS, THE
original title: Demsala Dawi: Sewaxan
director: Kazim Oz
cinematographer: Fesih Alpagu, Özkan Küçük, Kazim Oz
country: Turkey
year: 2009

The Shawaks are a nomadic community in eastern Turkey. In the winter, they live in stone houses in a village, and in the spring they take their livestock up to higher pasture in the mountains. An entire herd of sheep and goats, along with pack animals, dogs and whole families, are packed into rented trucks and unloaded at the foot of the mountains. What follows is a brutal hike uphill. Filmmaker Kazim Oz accompanied the Shawaks for a whole year. He discreetly observes men and animals from up close, though he cannot remain completely unnoticed. This perspective not only produces an intimate depiction of a group of people living their humble lives, but it also raises questions about filmic documentation of ethnographic phenomena.




MA BAR
original title: Ma Bar
director: Adrian McDowall, Finlay Pretsell,
cinematographer: Blair Scott, Filip Sycynski
country: UK
year: 2008

Bench pressing is not a hobby for 73-year-old Bill McFadyen – it is a way of life. Stranraer’s very own bench press champion is on a quest to be the best in the world.






NOTHING TO SEE
original title: Nada a ver
director: Florence Bresson, Lili Gonçalves
cinematographer: Pierre Maillis Laval
country: France
year: 2008

Nothing to see shows the everyday life of a Brazilian jail and the men who live there together. Through their intimate stories, their gestures and their attitudes, wardens and prisoners tell the truth they share – that of a prison environment and a violent social reality. Even if these parts seem to show only what we expect from each side, the documentary’s narration opens up and gives way to fantasy and fiction.




OLD MAN PETER
original title: Starik Petr
director: Ivan Golovnev
cinematographer: Ivan Golovnev
country: Russia
year: 2008

This film takes us into the world of old man Peter Sengepov, the last surviving shaman of the Kazym River, who lives alone in the depths of the Siberian taiga. The region inhabited by the Khanty people is the main source of oil extraction in Russia. About 70 percent of all Russian oil is extracted there. The oil companies actively buy huge territories in the North of Siberia. Indigenous people are compelled to leave these places, their own patrimonial land, and so a modern civilization gradually absorbs an ancient culture.




PO DRUGIEJ STRONIE CISZY
original title: Po drugiej stronie ciszy
director: Piotr Suzin
cinematographer: Max Pawlikowski, Piotr Suzin
country: Poland
year: 2009

A film dedicated to an extraordinary couple of artists. He – a clown, puppet master, mime. She – a dancer, his muse. Together they create uniquely poetic outdoor shows, combining different kinds of theatre and a wonderful contact with the audience. Their performances are based on pantomime illustrated with characteristic music. They know how to enchant the public no matter the place. They have already performed in the whole of Europe as well as Ecuador and the US, effectively drawing their audience into their magical world of theatre and circus resembling old photographs from the beginning of the last century. It is also remarkable that these two function in different worlds: that of sound and that of silence. This is because the girl is deaf, just like the rest of her family.




SHADOWS
original title: Schattenzeit
director: Gregor Theus
cinematographer: Jens Eckhardt, Gregor Theus
country: Germany
year: 2009

For many years, Olaf, Mona and Maria have been suffering from severe depression. The illness has left them without any interest in life. Having suicidal thoughts, they seek help and admit themselves to the psychiatric clinic of the Charité Berlin. They do not shy away from trying controversial treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy. Their struggle has been followed for over two years. Incomparably empathetic, the movie allows the viewer to comprehend the true emotions involved in this illness. A film about hope, the abysses of life, and the brutal cruelty of a disease.




SOLITARY LIFE OF CRANES, THE
original title: The Solitary Life of Cranes
director: Eva Weber
cinematographer: Catherine Derry, Marcus Waterloo
country: UK
year: 2008

Part city symphony part visual poem, The Solitary Life of Cranes explores the invisible life of a city, its patterns and hidden secrets, seen through the eyes of crane drivers working high above its streets. Within the loose structure of a day, starting with the drivers climbing up at dawn and ending with them coming down after a nightshift, the film observes the city as it awakens with a bustle of activity, through the lull of midday and the manic rush in the evening, until it calms down again deep into the night. Throughout the film, the drivers share their thoughts and reflections on London and life in general. What emerges is a lyrical meditation about how our existence is shaped through the environment we inhabit, both for the drivers high up in the sky and the people on the ground they are watching.




TOMORROW-YEAH!
original title: Tomorrow-Yeah!
director: Daniela Abke
cinematographer: Dieter Stürmer
country: Germany
year: 2008

Basketball. Training and tough encounters in a gym. Sounds of strange songs, a chaotic mixture of steps, squeaking sneakers and short bounces of a ball. Movements are memorized, combinations rehearsed. The next game is decisive.






TROPIC OF SHEEP
original title: Wendekreis des Schafs
director: Ralf Buecheler
cinematographer: Stefan Linn
country: Germany
year: 2009

Barra was not what Marie had expected: She left the Czech Republic for work and ended up on a tiny Scottish island in the Atlantic. Now she lives here, on the edge of Europe, and starts to feel at home. Joan from London followed her parents – they started a hotel business on Barra, without any experience in the industry. On the island, Joan seems to come to terms with a blow of fate long ago. Crofter Iain has been working on the windy pastures of North Uist for all his life. Now it is time "to take a back seat". Around them: the vast, empty and grand landscape of the islands. Tales of arriving, leaving, and staying based in the Western Isles off the Scottish north-west coast show a way of life many dream of, being rather different from a dream. A portrait of a place made of wind, clouds, water, and light.




TRYING FREEDOM
original title: Prøvetid
director: Thor Bekkavik
cinematographer: Nils Petter Midttun
country: Norway
year: 2008

Four ex-prisoners are trying to break a vicious circle and avoid ending up behind bars again. Through a theater group, they are given an opportunity to show a different side of themselves. They are used to standing alone, but now they are forced to work together in order to achieve a shared goal - the opening night. Slowly but surely, they discover that they all are struggling against the same enemy – themselves. Some fall. Some give up. A few stand tall and fight on. Trying Time shows how difficult it is to trust anyone, when deep inside you do not trust yourself. A tale about creativity, lies, enemies and friendship, but most of all a film about the importance of having someone believe you can break the vicious cycle.




WHERE THE SUN DOESN'T RUSH
original title: Tam gdzie słońce się nie spieszy
director: Matej Bobrik
cinematographer: Artur Sienicki
country: Poland
year: 2009

In a small village in the middle of nowhere ordinary people live their lives day in day out. Time seems still and life is suspended somewhere between nature, love, and eventually death.





TERMINY PROJEKCJI:

7109 KM
Polonia cinema (Main), 03 Dec, 10:00

ANDRZEJ WAJDA: LET'S SHOOT!
Polonia cinema (Main), 03 Dec, 10:00

BIG JOHN
Polonia cinema (Medium), 02 Dec, 10:00

CAROUSEL GUYS
Polonia cinema (Main), 04 Dec, 10:00

DAY AND AN ETERNITY, A
Polonia cinema (Main), 02 Dec, 17:30

DIARY OF THE END
Polonia cinema (Main), 04 Dec, 10:00

FAR FROM GONE
Polonia cinema (Medium), 03 Dec, 19:15

FOURTH MAN, THE
Polonia cinema (Medium), 04 Dec, 17:30

HANASAARI A
Polonia cinema (Medium), 01 Dec, 12:45

ISOLATION
Polonia cinema (Main), 02 Dec, 10:00

LAST SEASON: SHAWAKS, THE
Polonia cinema (Main), 01 Dec, 10:00

LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER
Polonia cinema (Main), 03 Dec, 10:00

MA BAR
Polonia cinema (Main), 02 Dec, 17:30

NOTHING TO SEE
Polonia cinema (Main), 02 Dec, 18:45

OLD MAN PETER
Polonia cinema (Medium), 01 Dec, 13:45

PO DRUGIEJ STRONIE CISZY
Polonia cinema (Main), 04 Dec, 10:00

SHADOWS
Polonia cinema (Main), 29 Nov, 18:45

SOLITARY LIFE OF CRANES, THE
Polonia cinema (Medium), 03 Dec, 19:15

TOMORROW-YEAH!
Polonia cinema (Main), 04 Dec, 11:00

TROPIC OF SHEEP
Polonia cinema (Medium), 29 Nov, 15:00

TRYING FREEDOM
Polonia cinema (Main), 30 Nov, 10:00

WHERE THE SUN DOESN'T RUSH
Polonia cinema (Medium), 29 Nov, 16:45