05/06/2009

A woman over 40 has a passionate affair with a Russian man, who appears in her life just as suddenly and mysteriously as he disappears, in the new film by Jan Jakub Kolski (Jasminum and Pornography [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). Produced by Lambros Ziotas for Argomedia Production, Happy Afonia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is being released in Polish theatres today by Best Film.

The film is set in the historically significant year of 1953, when Stalin died. Beekeeper Afonia (Grazyna Blecka-Kolska) lives with her paralysed husband, a former internationally renowned athlete (Mariusz Saternik). Both of them try to readjust to reality after the trauma of the war.

But one day, a former Red Army officer, Olympic athlete and war hero turns up at the couple’s house, intent on uncovering a secret from the husband. He does not expect to experience a short-lived and wild love affair with the wife. Meanwhile, Afonia, who is inspired by her hobby of constantly filming the world around her with a small camera, finds a new and fascinating subject.

The relationship between the three characters grows ambiguous and Kolski explores this intensity in his characteristic style of magic lyricism plunged in the simplest reality.

It should also be noted that Xawery Zulawski’s Wojna Polsko-Ruska [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“The Polish-Russian War”), which was adapted from Dorota Maslowska’s novel and released on May 22 (distributed by ITI Cinema) was originally meant to be directed by Kolski, who abandoned the project. The film, which includes a remarkable performance by Borys Szyc, has got off to an excellent start at the Polish box office, with 215,000 admissions in ten days on release.

(Translated from French)