The Voice

Poland2022documentary73'Konkurs polski (2022)

The Jesuit Order novitiate is a severe form of a trial. During two years of isolation from society and the comforts of civilisation, young men have enough time to ponder the question: Is the religious life for me? In the documentary by Dominika Montean-Pańków, we can see, among other things, the first lectures for future clergy. ‘If you sit in a shack, you will see the fruits in everyday life’, says an elderly monk. Wojciech Staroń’s shots of the desert define the symbolic horizon of the experience of the novices, and the steady rhythm of Adam Bałdych’s score creates an aura of meditation.