Michał Ostatkiewicz

Fakir

The psychological journey of Dalibor, a young Romani man from a dysfunctional family, is set against the backdrop of a Slovak slum. This gripping, immersive, and cinematic experience delves into the captivating life at the edge of society, unfolding a modern-day Oedipus story. With a stolen childhood, Dalibor yearns for a father figure in a world that brings a constant struggle for one‘s place. Fakir vividly explores the raw pain that arises from abuse and trauma. This pain resides both internally within the family‘s walls and externally, where the circus‘s agonizing nailbed becomes his haven.

Forest

Young, brimming with hope, and striving to build a better life for their children and themselves, Asia and Marek, have relocated to the edge of one of Europe's oldest forests, along Poland’s eastern border. For their three children, the forest is not only a vast playground but also something akin to a second home. However, as the refugee crisis casts its long shadow on the whole of Europe and Poland’s borders turn into one of the central scenes of this drama, with unwelcome refugees trapped between two countries, the family’s quiet days seem numbered. Aiding “illegal immigrants” is prohibited by their country’s laws, but how does one refuse to help someone in need? Discovering a captivating, poetic equilibrium between the deeply personal and the essentially political, Forest brings to the forefront the natural landscape, as well as the characters’ emotional environment, crafting a film that resonates loudly and goes beyond pompous statements.