THE NEW IS AHEAD - CHILL - DECEMBER 16TH
Come for a pre-holiday lighthearted treat!
In the "NEW IS AHEAD" series at Kino Elektronik, every two months we present the best student short films from Warsaw Film School – because short films belong on the big screen! This time, we have a treat for you – we are leaving the dramas for the new year, and in December, we're reaching for comedies, including dark ones, a bit of irony, and a lot of absurdity. And for good measure – two two-minute comedies. A quick one, but a good one!
December 16th (Tuesday), 6 PM, Kino Elektronik (gen. Zajączka 7)
THE FILMS WILL BE AVAILABLE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Get your free student tickets at the cinema website!
After the screening, we'll chat and laugh with the film's directors: Cezary Orłowski, Polina Biliaieva, Tomasz Kurlej, and Leon Korzyński. Witold Prokopczyk, the cinematographer of "Haiphongpol," will also join us, and Tauras Zakevicius, the director of "Payment," will send us a special message straight from Latvia.
THE Q&A SESSION WILL BE HELD IN POLISH.
Moderator: Artur Zaborski
Curator: Zuza/Juzek Kopcińska
What will we screen at Kino Elektronik?
„CAN YOU SEE?”
DIR. CEZARY ORŁOWSKI
Teresa’s quiet life is thrown into chaos when a stain on her kitchen window is proclaimed a miracle. As pilgrims flood her home and her husband, Henryk, thrives in the spotlight, Teresa feels increasingly invisible. Torn between faith, societal expectations, and her own desires, she struggles to reclaim her sense of self in a world that overlooks her. A darkly comedic and evocative story about a woman longing to be truly seen.
In his second film, Cezary Orłowski asks what miracles are – are they a shady image on the kitchen window, or perhaps the everyday proofs of love we long for? The Virgin Mary certainly draws larger crowds to Teresa and Henryk's apartment building, but a singing pilgrimage proves to be a less than ideal anniversary gift. Orłowski's comedy has already touched audiences at festivals in Rimini, Płock, Świdnica, and Toronto, among others, and at the Offeliada festival, it received the "łOŁ!" ("WOW!") Award from the "Ośla Ławka" Association. There's probably no better recommendation.
„PAYDAY”
DIR. TAURAS ZAKEVICIUS
When a single father learns that he'll be replaced at his factory job by new technology, he reaches for creative solutions.
Everything I'm about to write here could have been written by a chatbot. But it wasn't. The characters in Zakevicius's film don't give in to robots either. Unfortunately, their factory is moving with the times, and soon they will be out of work. What can they do to survive? The idea is simple: use what robots don't have, and what we have for free, and perhaps even in abundance. Our bodies. This dark comedy by a student of the International Studies Department at the Warsaw Film School is a perfect addition to our showcase. Check out what Tauras has come up with.
„THESE DAMN PEONIES”
DIR. POLINA BILIAIEVA
Rita is 24 and she has never experienced an orgasm. Till her 25th birthday she decided to get it at any cost.
Polina Biliaieva's latest film, "Fuck Them All," was screened in our October showcase. Now we're going back to her first short and doing a real genre-twist. The heroine of "These Damn Peonies" is on a quest for her first orgasm – she stops at nothing, dissecting all our absurd taboos about body and sex, and definitely not shying away from laughter. Polina's film has already conquered Polish screens – after an impressive festival run, which included a stop in Gdynia, it was distributed by the Polish Association of Arthouse Cinemas in a block of three women's films from the Warsaw Film School. For anyone who missed it then, we come to the rescue!
„REMAINS STALLING”
DIR. TOMASZ KURLEJ
A job at the crematorium is Błażej's last resort. After the interview, the Manager sets vodka on the table. A heady evening turns into a terrifying morning.
Tomasz Kurlej's black comedy explores that moment in life when we have nothing to lose. We apply for a job at a funeral home because our resume bounces off every other door. It doesn't matter if the Manager looks like a psychopath, and our shiftmate goes for a nap in a coffin... Can this end well? "Remains stalling" was screened last year at the OKFA National Independent Film Competition and won the Audience Award at the Lublin Film Festival. It's time for it to warm up the audience of Kino Elektronik!
„HAIPHONGPOL”
DIR. LEON KORZYŃSKI
Drew, a Vietnamese immigrant in Warsaw, is trapped by his mother's rigid expectations. Behind closed doors he leads a secret life as a nail artist, crafting intricate designs and breaking cultural taboos. Everything changes when Bo, a bold and talented nail artist, becomes both his muse and ally. It puches Drew to confront his mother’s control and embrace his creative identity.
Leon Korzyński's film combines Polish and Asian cinema in the most exquisite way – set on Bakalarska Street in Warsaw, the biggest asian market in the city, over a crab soup and amidst the neon lights of countless shops. Drew is trapped here by his mother's expectations and the only way of life he knows. But around the corner lies another world – the colorful, whimsical patterns with which he decorates his nails. Will Drew dare to have a happy ending? "Haiphongpol" brought its creators quite a few gifts – selections at numerous Polish festivals, as well as two nominations for cinematography: for the Jan Machulski Award and the Golden Tadpole at the Camerimage Festival. Therefore, alongside the film's director, Witold Prokopczyk, the cinematographer, will appear on the Electronics stage.
And for good measure – two two-minute comedies!
„THE DESK LAMP”
DIR. LEON KORZYŃSKI
The old table lamp would love to still shine on a desk, but instead it needs to face a difficult journey through the dark city.
Let anyone who hasn't thrown out their old lamp before the holidays to put a brand new one on the table cast the first stone. This is precisely what happened to the hero of Leon Korzyński's extra-short. It's been evicted from its warm apartment, and now only one thing flows through its metal veins – revenge.
„SUNDAY”
DIR. CEZARY ORŁOWSKI
Absorbed in the television broadcast of Holy Mass, Grandma fails to notice the family warmth lurking just behind her.
Anyone who anxiously awaits family holiday gatherings will relate to this short comedy. This two-minute short, filmed during his first year of Warsaw Film School, beautifully foreshadows Orłowski's later short film, which opens our December block of shorts. A drama unfolds here, set to the rhythm of whipping dough, that doesn't need a longer feature. We invite you to "Sunday" at Grandma's!