A formal ceremony with the participation of the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Michael Groß, Ph.D. and the vice-director of Goethe-Institut in Krakow, Daniel Göpfert and the director of Dom Norymberski in Krakow, Renata Kopyto, inaugurated the special section of this year’s edition of Krakow Film Festival, Focus on Germany.
“This is our second approach to German cinema,” explained Krzysztof Gierat, the director of Krakow Film Festival, during the ceremony. “The first one took place in 2009 and inspired us to start the series Focus on… that is, a comprehensive presentation of productions from one country, with the participation of film-makers, producers, distributors, film schools.”
So far, the section included presentations of cinema from, among others, Israel, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Lithuania, Great Britain. This time, a large portion of the festival programme will be dedicated to the artistic output of Poland’s western neighbour. Within the frames of the section “Focus on Germany,” 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 representatives of the film industry from Germany and Poland will meet at a joint conference.
“Krakow Film Festival, presenting documentary and short films, is one of the oldest festivals in Europe and it became a permanent fixture on the cultural calendar. I am all the more pleased that this year’s special guest is Germany, and thus the focus will be placed on Germany. It is a great opportunity for German film to present itself in Poland from the side that was probably not known before,” said the Consul General of Germany, Michael Groß, Ph. D, to welcome the guests and participants of the ceremony.
The great attraction of the ceremony was the screening of the documentary film “Brother Jakob,” with the participation of the director. Elí Roland Sachs is an author of documentary and short films, born in 1985. “Brother Jakob” 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 viewers of Krakow Film Festival will have a chance to watch the film “Brother Jakob” again on Friday, the 2nd of June, at 2 p.m. in Kino Pod Baranami.
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.