The 23 titles fighting for the Golden Lion included: films by Sofia Coppola and David Fincher, but also . Since the world premiere on September 5, and even earlier, because it is political, talks about the “Green Border” have not subsided. After a great reception in Venice, the production is a strong candidate for the main prize. Does “Woman with…” have similar chances? The film will be shown on September 8.
“Woman from…” – trailer of the film competing for awards in Venice. “This is not a film about a militia”
– “Woman with… is a really important film for us, the fruit of many years of work and countless meetings with transgender people – people of all ages, living in Poland for decades, who kindly trusted us and shared their stories – say the co-directors of their latest film, Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert. Previously, their film “There Will Never Be Snow Again” was shown in Venice, which was awarded the “Persona, Lavoro, Ambiente” Foundation Award for a film about the environment or work.
“Kobieta z…” is a Polish-Swedish co-production and a story taking place over 45 years about transgender Aniela Wesoły, living in the Polish countryside. The role of Aniela was played by Małgorzata Hajewska and Mateusz Więcławek (as young Aniela). The action is set in the 1970s and 1980s. Joanna Kulig and Bogumiła Bajor also starred in the film. The directing duo (they wrote the script together, Englert is also the cinematographer) explains:
Aniela, who lived as a man for almost half of her life in a provincial town, making the arduous path to freedom, seemed symbolic to us, becoming a metaphor for Poland’s transformation, reflecting a society that once came together in solidarity to overthrow the communist regime. This society currently advocates polarization of attitudes and reluctance to accept beliefs that have long become the social norm in other parts of the world.
– This is not a film about a militant group. It’s a very delicate film – Szumowska quoted by “Variety”. – It is largely a story about love – adds the Berlinale winner.
Title “from Wajda”, 7/10 from the reviewer
The idea for this film was born about 20 years ago, when Englert was filming the first gender reassignment surgery performed in our country. The title “Woman from…” is not accidental. – This is a deliberate reference to our Master – Andrzej Wajda (“Man of Iron”, “Man of Marble”) – say the creators. – At a time when cinema is being replaced by content, we felt a strong need to tell Aniela’s unique story, ask questions and refer in form to the classic features of the genre. The Woman of… features many transgender people who play both trans and cis characters. The production team included many people from the LGBTQ+ community. We hope that our film will help people understand what it means to be transgender and increase support for changes in the law that will guarantee a life without threats. Our film does not judge any of the attitudes presented. The most significant element is the humanistic tone of the moving story of our main characters, respectfully followed by our camera – emphasize Szumowska and Englert.
“The topic they chose is both universal and local,” notes Kuba Armata in Interia. “The issue of gender identity, feeling strange and uncomfortable in one’s own body, and finally gender reassignment procedures are problems understandable in every longitude and latitude. Local, because Szumowska and Englert showed what difficulties and dramas, also from a legal perspective, such people have to face still struggle in Poland, where this topic is still not properly regulated. And the time horizon they have adopted is vast. From the depths of communism, through the turn of 1989, the colorful 1990s, the entry into the new century – until today. Throughout “Not much has changed in this matter over time.” He praises the creators’ care to avoid stereotypes, as well as the way in which the reaction of Andrzej’s wife/Aniela (Joanna Kulig) is shown. “Although I feel a bit dissatisfied here, because I regret that this story about two women and their newly built mutual relationships was not more attractive and exposed by the creators,” he notes, awarding the production 7/10.
Jarosław Kamiński is responsible for editing, Jimek for music, production: NOMAD Films (Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Bogna Szewczyk-Skupień, Katarzyna Jordan-Kulczyk, Gregory Jakilevitsch), Film i Vast (Kristina Borjeson), Common Ground Pictures (Jonas Kellagher) and the Polish Film Institute. The award ceremony, including the most important one, will take place on September 9. This year, the jury chaired by Damien Chazelle decides who will receive the Golden Lion.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
