The screenings of The Painted Bird at the film festivals in Venice and Toronto are a solid proof that cinema is still capable of moving audiences. There was no other film as much discussed and as disturbing to the audiences, as the controversial adaptation of the book written by Jerzy Kosiński.
It is one of such films that one finds challenging. And there will be a chance to do that at the 17th edition of the Tofifest International Film Festival which takes place from 19th October to 27th October, 2019.
During this year's edition of the Tofifest IFF, The Painted Bird will be presented as part of the Polonica section that makes its début in Toruń. The curator of this section is Łukasz Maciejewski, an outstanding film critic, lecturer at the Lodz Film School, and author of numerous books and publications dedicated to cinema.
“Filmmakers from Poland are crossing boundaries, not only the metaphorical ones, but also the literal ones. By working in other countries, they bring their own style, talent, and personality, to international cinematography. The Polonica section contains the most interesting films from the passing film season, featuring artists from Poland. What we should expect is a lot of emotions and controversy, lively discussions, and sheer admiration for authors,” promises curator Łukasz Maciejewski.
Feel invited by Stellan Skarsgård himself to come to Toruń and see The Painted Bird!
This Swedish actor needs no introduction. He has already become part of the history of cinema, thanks to his performances in films made by rebellious film directors. His excellent roles in Dogville by Lars von Trier, in Good Will Hunting by Gus van Sant, or recently in the HBO original series Chernobyl are proof enough that Stellan Skarsgård is a total actor. Now, he can add the role of a German soldier in The Painted Bird by Václav Marhoul to the portfolio of his outstanding acting achievements.
“It is a beautiful film!,” declares the actor in a short film made specifically for the audiences of the Tofifest IFF, during the Toronto IFF, where The Painted Bird had its American première.
The film had its international première during the recently finished Venice IFF, where the film stirred a lot of emotions and made people leave cinema halls completely devastated. It has been quite a while since we had a film capable of evoking such powerful emotions in audiences. In a review published in The Wrap, Robert Abele described the film as an epic adaptation of the book by Jerzy Kosiński, which is visceral in its depiction of what dehumanisation really entails. In a review published in Time of Israel, the film was referred to as a “masterpiece.” According to ratings published by cinema experts, the film occupies a high position in overviews of the best premières of 2019.
Accompanying The Painted Bird featuring Stellan Skarsgård and Lech Dyblik, and many others, in the Polonica section are My Name is Sara by Steven Oritt, featuring cinematography by Marian Prokop and music by Łukasz Targosz, High Life by Claire Denis, featuring Robert Pattison and Agata Buzek, The River by Emir Baigazin, featuring music composed by Justyna Banaszczyk, or The Harvesters by Etienne Kallos, in which the author of visual setting is Michał Englert. You definitely need to take up the challenge!