Curtain lifts on 34th Gdynia fest
City of the Sea by Andrzej Kotkowski (Citizen Piszczyk) will this evening open the 34th Gdynia Polish Film Festival. Adapted from a novel by Stanislawa Fleszerowa-Muskat, the film is a love story set during the development of Gdynia city between 1923 and 1926, focusing on the construction of the port.
The director previously tried to get the film off the ground 20 years ago, but the project foundered due to a refusal by the Communist authorities, followed by a lack of funding. Not until last year did production company Profilm (in co-production with public TV broadcaster TVP) receive backing from the Polish Film Institute (PISF) and cities of Gdynia and Gdansk.
The cast of City of the Sea includes Julia Pietrucha, Małgorzata Foremniak, Jakub Strzelecki and Paweł Domagała. It will be released theatrically on October 9 by Syrena Films.
Kotkowski’s feature is in the official competition comprising 24 titles selected from around 40 films (out of over 50 produced in Poland in 2009). Several established filmmakers will this year vie for honours, including Wojciech Smarzowski, Xavery Żuławski and Mariusz Grzegorzek, alongside others making their feature debut: Katarzyna Rosłaniec, Marcin Wrona, Borys Lankosz and Kinga Dębska.
The Golden Lions jury is presided by Krzysztof Krauze, while the Platinum Lions for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded by Kazimierz Kutz and Jerzy Hoffman.
Besides the official competition, the Gdynia festival also hosts a Polish Film Panorama and a competitive Independent Cinema section. Lasting until September 18, the event will include a total of 300 screenings and over 160 films.
(Translated from French)
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