“While Jacob is searching for the truth, I am trying to find Jacob. Will we ever find each other?” This is how his extraordinary journey is described by Elí Roland Sachs, the director of the film “Brother Jacob,” which will open the series “Focus on Germany” during the 57th Krakow Film Festival.
Elí Roland Sachs is an author of documentary and short films, born in 1985. “Brother Jacob” is his second feature-length documentary film. In this very intimate portrait, the director attempts to understand the decision of his brother who, a couple of years earlier, after reading the Quran, resolved to convert to Islam. The film is an opportunity to renew the lost brotherly ties and goes far beyond reflections on religion.
The film is also an attempt to answer the fundamental questions about the essence of faith and its place in human life, as well as a story about acceptance, freedom and stereotypes. The story depicted in the film makes you think about the thin boundary between the deep need for spiritual development and the danger of ideological trap. Elí Roland Sachs documented the fascinating process of his brother’s spiritual transformation, engaging in a peculiar cinematic dialogue with his brother in search for explanations and attempts to rebuild the relationship.
Focus on Germany
Every year, within the frames of a special series, the Festival presents the cinema of a selected country. This year’s special guest is Germany. Within the frames of the section, the latest documentary and short films will be shown, as well as the programme for children and teenagers, and a selection of student films. The films produced by Poland’s western neighbour will also appear in the competition section, and the representatives of the film industry from Poland and Germany will meet at a joint conference within the frames of KFF Industry. In the programme, there are, among others: “The Promise,” “Tales of the singers and the murderers,” “Holy Zoo,” “Dil Leyla,” “Happy,” “Austerlitz,” “When Paul came over the Sea.”
The opening ceremony of the section “Focus on Germany,” accompanied by the screening of the film “Brother Jacob” with the participation of the film-makers is held on May 29, 2017 in the cinema Kijów.Centrum.
The partners of the section “Focus on Germany” are the Consulate General of Germany in Krakow, Goethe-Institut in Krakow, German Films, the Nuremberg House in Krakow, the festival DOKLeipzig and
Krakow Technology Park.
More information:
https://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl/fokus-na-niemcy/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1894055047506857/
57th Krakow Film Festival is held from May 28 to June 4, 2017.