Presented by the Society for Arts, the 24th Polish Film Festival in America presents new work from Poland and by Polish filmmakers around the world.
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Courage This dark fable by writer-director Greg Zglinski recalls the philosophical dramas of Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Zanussi, raising complex moral questions but refusing to provide any answers. Two grown brothers—one a college graduate, the other a tradesman—constantly lock horns over how to manage the family business; when they stumble upon a violent incident, they discover just how different they’ve become. This is consistently surprising, and in contrast to most suspense films, the plot twists tend to reveal character rather than incident. Yet its peripheral treatment of the men’s professional life pales in comparison to how Kieslowski and Zanussi often made their characters’ jobs intrinsic to their identity. In Polish with subtitles. 83 min. —Ben Sachs Mon 11/5, 7 PM, Facets Cinematheque; Wed 11/7, 8 PM, Rosemont 18; and Wed 11/14, 7 PM, Pickwick
Fear of Falling Bartosz Konopka wrote and directed this 2011 drama about a TV news reporter (Marcin Dorocinski) estranged from his schizophrenic father (Krzysztof Stroinski). As the old man’s condition deteriorates, the son conspires to sell his father’s apartment and institutionalize him, but then, overwhelmed by guilt, he whisks the old man away to a mountain resort in hope of mending their relationship. Crisply photographed by Piotr Niemyjski, the film is easy on the eyes, but the script is overwrought and lacks character detail. Konopka’s previous film, an Oscar-nominated documentary about the wild rabbits that lived in the infamous “Death Strip” behind the Berlin Wall, revealed a burgeoning talent, but this trite effort is a step in the wrong direction. In Polish with subtitles. —Drew Hunt 88 min. Wed 11/7, 7 PM, Facets Cinematheque; Fri 11/9, 7 PM, Pickwick; and Thu 11/15, 8 PM, Rosemont 18
11/2-11/8, Beverly Arts Center; Facets Cinematheque; Pickwick, 5 S. Prospect, Park Ridge; Rosemont 18, 9701 Bryn Mawr, Rosemont; Society for Arts. More info at pffamerica.com.
