Film screenings: A story about the city – Łódź as a protagonist and scene of events – screening prepared in cooperation with Piotr Kardas [PL, ENG]
- “The Market”, dir. Józef Robakowski, 1970, 6′
In this first film produced with the Workshop of Film Form, Józef Robakowski attempted to expose film’s potential to create an illusion of reality as it was exploited by professional cinema. He showed that the feeling of reality film creates is merely a product of technology and, more precisely, the effect of the standard frame rate in the camera or the projector (24 frames per second). A slight modification of this speed or filming at a different frame rate (five frames every two seconds), gives an entirely different image of recorded reality.
- “The City Sails On”, dir. Balbina Bruszewska, 2008, 15′
A bitter-sweet reflection on life in Poland. The young and the old talk about looking for love, a wedding night, school uniforms, prime minister’s duties, fastening seatbelts, religion and power. The film is a collage of statements, conversations, musical pieces and reporter’s material. It touches upon the most sensitive topics for the society such as unemployment and poverty, farmers’ strikes, football hooligans and crime. As regards the visual dimension, the main character is Łódź, its residents and post-communist landscapes in Poland.
- “And Łódź Stays Anyway”, dir. Marcin Podolec, 2014, 7′
An ordinary visit to a friend they have not seen for a long time becomes, for both men, a pretext to walk down the streets of Łódź. This slightly surreal trip to less known locations and alleys reveals the city’s flavour. It is also a journey in time, showing the remnants of what belongs to the past now, like old neons, a closed down local bar or forgotten amusement park. These are the places that preserve the character of the city portrait in black and white.
- “Oh! I can’t stop!”, dir. Zbigniew Rybczyński, 1975, 10′
An experimental pixilation, capturing man’s inability to fully experience the organism of a city. Shot in Łódź, Poland.
- „Shortseeing”, dir. Jakub Romanowicz, 2017, 8’
Who is that hooded figure “painting” all the buildings around with his dry brushes? Why does he keep repeating the same actions on different walls in other areas? The work of the mysterious artist starts to bother a policeman, since his routine always ends with an awkward encounter with the bizarre individual.
- „My house”, dir. Jacek Kasprzycki, 1983, 10’
Photographic record of Polish history from the beginning of the century to the present day using as an example a building.
- “Legwork”, dir. Jan Grobliński, 2018, 15′
Łódź, Poland. What comes to mind when we hear the name of our city? A coat of arms? Places we know, like streets or squares? This man sees a city map, paper with his own story written between a grid of streets.
