NA PÓŁNOC OD KALABRII

A small town in Lower Silesia, in post industrial and forgotten stagnation – until it is declared a semi-real, semi-fictitious, completely ideal typical place. It takes only one summer and one film crew to do this, among them Marcin Sauter, Maciej Cuske and Thierry Paladino (all of them known at Leipzig), some of the most talented and innovative young documentary filmmakers in Poland. Once more they re-invent the genre – and Chelmsko Slaskie, too. Mingling with the inhabitants, they provoke a drama that duly proceeds to unfold: a festival is planned, a stage (lopsided) is erected on the market square, a play is rehearsed, even a science fiction film is shot and wedding plans are made. The mayor gives clever advice and recites poetry left, right and centre or acts as the comforter for one of the numerous widows, who, screaming and giggling, take lessons in the art of Italian cooking from Paladino. He in turn makes regular phone calls to Italy from the tilted booth, stating that life in this small town is not much different from life in Calabria ...

The term docudrama is far too prosaic for this film which is pure poetry. Bright and light like a summer’s day, full of entrancing moments and a subtle humour. Chelmsko Slaskie, a utopian place – like the cinema.