Press release

17.08.20011

The viewers of the Toronto International Film Festival will get a chance to see five Polish movies. All of them were supported by the Polish Film Institute:

In Darkness by Agnieszka Holland will screen in Special Screenings section which makes a World Premiere of the movie. It was made in co-production between Poland, Germany, and Canada. It tells the story of Leopold Socha, a Polish man who went from smalltime crook to hero during the course of the Second World War. Risking his own life and the lives of his loved ones, he saves a dozen men, women, and children from certain extermination and helps them survive almost 14 months in hiding. The role of Socha was played by Robert Więckiewicz. The film also stars Agnieszka Grochowska, Kinga Preis, Julia Kijowska, Marcin Bosak, and the German actor Benno Fürmann. The cinematographer credit goes to Jolanta Dylewska. In Darkness is the Polish candidate for the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

On the set of In Darkness. Photo by Marcin Kułakowski, Polish Film Institute

Elles by Małgorzata Szumowska which tells the story of Anna (Juliette Binoche), a journalist writing an article about prostitution among university students. While working on her piece, she meets two young women, Charlotte (Anaïs Demoustier) and Alicja (Joanna Kulig), who bring her into the world of love for sale. A kind of world that is appalling, yet at the same time - to Anna's own surprise - somewhat appealing. The script written by Małgorzata Szumowska and a Danish scriptwriter Tine Byrckel was noticed during Cannes festival in 2009.

 Photo by: Marion Stalens

The Woman in the Fifth by Paweł Pawlikowski. It is a story adapted from a Douglas Kennedy's best-seller, starring Ethan Hawke, Kristin Scott Thomas and Joanna Kulig. Rick's life has got out of control - after leaving his wife he heads for Paris to find his daughter and happiness among the French bohemia. Meeting wrong people pushes Rick towards a fall but he gets to know Magrit, a mysterious émigré, who seduces him and appears to offer the hedonistic and uncomplicated life he craves.

Znieważnona ziemia(La terre outragée/Land of Oblivion) by Michale Boganim. It's a French/German/Ukrainian/Polish co-production starring Andrzej Chyra in one of the leading roles and with Leszek Możdżer's music. The Polish co-producer on this project is Apple Film Production. The film retraces the irreversible consequences of the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power station in 1986. The organizers of the International Film Critic's Week in Venice where the film will also appear wrote that Land of Oblivion is "the highest quality debut".

Copyright: Apple Film Production

The Flying Machine is a Polish-Chinese co-production with the support of the Polish Film Institute. The main producer of the film is BreakThru Films (Poland). From Academy Award Winding producer Hugh Welchman (Peter And The Wolf), The Flying Machine is a spectacular 3D adventure for the whole family, combining live action and stop motion animation. Starring Heather Graham and super-star pianist Lang Lang who also performs the soundtrack, Chopin’s timeless unforgettable music provides the inspiration for a modern fairy tale. The Flying Machine will screen in Kids Film Competition. The director of the acting part is Geoff Lindsey and the animation part Martin Clapp and Marek Skrobecki. The cinematographer credit goes to Krzysztof Ptak.

Copyrights: BreakThru Films

Best regards,

Olga Domżała

Olga Domżała

Film Sales Support & PR Manager

Polish Film Institute

Krakowskie Przedmieście 21/23

00-071 Warsaw PL

olga.domzala@pisf.pl

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