Tofi: The things one needs to know on Sunday
The official opening ceremony of the 17th edition of the Tofifest International Film Festival is now officially behind us. This year, the Opening Ceremony was dominated by L.U.C., who was accompanied on stage by the joined forces of Rebel Babel Film Orchestra. The first Golden Angel of this edition of the festival was awarded to Maja Ostaszewska. Now, once you have drunk your coffee on the lazy Sunday morning, there is a solid dose of film emotions waiting for you.
Our programme is quite rich and picking films to see is not an easy job. When going through the programme, you will find an abundance of new international and Polish productions. Blizna/The Scar, Obywatel miłość, or Monument – from dramas, through documentaries, to animations. We are aware that any and all films are worthy of your attention, but we have selected three of them as our private recommendations for the second day of the “rebellious” festival.
The first of the selected three is Beanpole by Kantemir Balagov, which was awarded at Cannes FF. The story in the film takes place in Leningrad. What is the reality of life after the long years of the Second World War which brought so much trauma and torment? And what about the world of women, where the perspective of the war is entirely different? The film is visceral in its portrayal of the post-war reality and the struggle of the two main protagonists, Iya and Masha, to find their place in it. Each of them will have to do it in their own way and come to terms with a different share of tough experiences. Both have their minds in disarray. Their characters are two extreme opposites. And if that was not enough, we need to take notice of the time and place they have to live in – these are the ingredients to build profound human portraits. The director has successfully depicted the austere reality of the time, which makes it possible for viewers to feel the rotten, morbid atmosphere permeating everything around, but we will ultimately fail at trying to get inside the minds of Iya and Masha. After all, how can we know what we ourselves would do, if we travelled back in time to experience their reality? We only have two choices: either attempt to understand their choices, or simply stand aside and watch passively. This way the two hours of the film are over quite soon, but we find ourselves isolated in our focus.
What does one do when faced with situations, in which you are forced to revise your values and beliefs? Or even your faith? One that tries to find answers to such questions, or at least give as an insight into the process itself, is Teona Strugar Mitevska (the director behind God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija). The scandal that Petrunija creates inadvertently becomes a detailed portrayal of the patriarchal reality in a small town in Macedonia with all its possible consequences. All of a sudden, an ordinary woman finds herself right in the centre of the turmoil she has started. Day by day, her situations gets more complicated. The film takes a closer look at many different aspects, for example the false rules of social communication, how they control people and what they really mean. Come and see for yourself!
Finally, let us take a look at the third film that we suggest you see: System Crasher. It is probably the only film in the programme full of screaming. Benni is a volcano erupting with emotions on a daily basis. There is little else she can do but scream, punch, and kick to channel her discontent with the rules permeating every layer of her life. The director Nora Fingscheidt takes viewers deep into the world of Benni, but also depicts the hopelessness surrounding every effort to help the girl. Even the state is incapable of taking care of the girl, which ultimately ends in a vicious circle in which one runs calling for help. And there is no way to break the circle up. What will happen, if there is finally someone to win the girl's trust? And what if the feeling of understanding and safety that took so long to build will be questioned once again? It is a film, which has already won a number of important awards and nominations, and you can see the story in detail this Sunday.
Each of the three stories is different and discusses completely different subjects. And they are but three of the fifteen film proposals we have prepared for you today. The common thing for all of them is that they guarantee long and passionate discussions after each screening. And that you can see all of them at TOFIFEST, naturally. So, choosing the films to see in the afternoon and in the evening is now quite simple!
- Beanpole – Cultural and Congress Centre Jordanki (small hall), at 8.00 p.m.
- God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija – Cultural and Congress Centre Jordanki (small hall), at 12.00 a.m.
- System Crasher – Cinema City (room 8), at 7.45 p.m.
Martyna Makowska
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