Self-approval, coming-of-age, hard choices. At the 60th Krakow Film Festival the voice of women is very distinctive; they are not afraid to talk about often difficult experiences concerning their own bodies.
They are young, beautiful and proudly call themselves – fat. The heroines of the film “Fat Front” are not ashamed of their curves and fight for everyone’s right to accept themselves no matter how they look like and despite the opinions of people who accuse them of promoting obesity. Using social media and events they organise, they try to show others that they’re not alone in their struggle to accept their bodies. An international support group comes to life, but the positive comments are followed by a lot of hate. Under the surface of optimistic mottos and actions, we discover intimate stories from the lives of the women who were surrounded by doubt, lack of understanding and dislike since they were little kids.
Lene Marie Fossen, the protagonist of “The Self-Portrait”, does not want to be “the anorexia icon”, even though photography is for her a form of self-therapy. No matter who is the subject of her photographs – people living on Greek islands, refugees or herself – her works, shocking yet beautiful, become a record of a desperate fight against illness and death. Camera follows the young Norwegian artist mostly through her struggle with herself.
The Self Portrait, dir. Margreth Olin, Katja Hogset, Espen Wallin 
Lushfulness, dir. Weronika Szyma 
Fat Front, dir. Louise Detlefsen, Louise Unmack Kjeldsen 
Alice and the Frog, dir. Olga Bołądź 
Portrait of a Woman, dir. Natali Durszewiz 
Overdue, dir. Tessa Louise Pope
The matters of body and self-acceptance are present also in Polish animation. In “Lushfulness” by Weronika Szyma a one-on-one meeting with her own reflection makes a young girl want to explore her own body. The protagonist gets into a fight with herself, her fear, and tries to find out what she really needs. Can the full union with her body bring her peace of mind? Another film “Portrait of a Woman” by Natalia Durszewicz, which is illustrated with Wisława Szymborska’s poem, tells a story of a complaint and captive woman who is not fully aware of her feminine potential. Due to cultural and moral reasons she exists as an incomplete version of herself. She passively goes through different stages of her life. At some point her true nature wakes up and forces her to fight for liberation.
In the film “Alice and the Frog” the difficult subject of abortion, which stirs up strong emotions, is presented in a surprising, crazy and colourful scenery. A directorial debut of the actress Olga Bołądź is a coming-of-age story of a protagonist who against her will is forced to quickly grow up. A teenage girl lands in the middle of a fantasy, which is equally beautiful and frightening. She can’t put off her decision forever and the place is full of advisors.
Abortion is tackled honestly and directly in a documentary “Overdue” (dir. Tessa Louise Pope). Three girls talk about making the most important decision of their lives. Their faces in close-ups express more than words: pain, loneliness and an overwhelming weight of responsibility. Even though all three of them are convinced that they made a right choice, the experience of abortion has changed their lives forever.
- “Alice and the Frog”, dir. Olga Bołądź, 27’, 2020, Poland – Short Film and National Competition
- “The Self Portrait”, dir. Margreth Olin, Katja Hogset, Espen Wallin, 70’, Norway – Documentary Competition
- “Overdue”, dir. Tessa Louise Pope, 24’, 2019, Netherlands – Short Film Competition
- “Lushfulness”, dir. Weronika Szyma, 6’, 2020, Poland – National Competition
- “Portrait of a Woman”, dir. Natalia Durszewicz, 5’, 2020, Poland – National Competition
- “Fat Front”, dir. Louise Detlefsen, Louise Unmack Kjeldsen, 87’, 2019 – Focus on Denmark
Krakow Film Festival is on the exclusive list of the Academy Awards documentary feature qualifying events and the winner of the Golden Horn is eligible to submit for Oscar consideration. KFF also qualifies short films (live action, animated, documentary) for the Academy Awards and recommends them for the European Film Awards.
The programme of the 60th Krakow Film Festival will be moved entirely online! The latest documentary, animated and short films from around the world, awaited Polish premieres and meetings with filmmakers will be available online, from the safety of your own home. The full festival programme will be announced mid-May.