Film
Jacob Mendez
Jacob Mendez

15th Camera Action Festival. Anticipated premieres in the event program

A cross-genre blockbuster, a cinephile variation on old Hollywood cinema, a teen drama that transforms into a contemporary epic about love with lots of impressive formal solutions and musical elements. There are productions that can be easily classified with several terms, but Gilles Lellouche’s film defies simple classification. “Beating Hearts” with the mesmerizing role of Adèle Exarchopoulos will have its Polish premiere during the 15th edition of the Kamera Akcja Festival. “This is a production that proves that worn-out genre patterns can be revived and even enriched with new quality and visual impact. After the screening in Cannes, the creators received a long and fully deserved standing ovation,” emphasizes Przemek Glajzner, director of the Kamera Akcja Festival.

The film tells the story of Jackie and Clotaire who grow up in the north of France. They live in the same town, go to the same high school, breathe the air of the 1980s. She studies, he sleeps all day. Their paths cross, but will their crazy love be enough to survive all the trials? Gilles Lellouche’s film has a vibe of youthful feeling. Laurent Tangy’s surprising cinematography reflects the thinking of two infatuated characters, whose reality is as breathtaking as the first Technicolor films.

“‘Beating Hearts’ is like the unbridled love of the main characters – wild, crazy and fast-paced. It is a cinema that flirts interestingly with the style of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘La La Land’, ‘Athena’ and… ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. Others in other words: an explosive mixture,” says film critic Michał Kaczoń. Certainly, “Beating Hearts” is, next to “Emilia Perez” by Jacques Audiard, one of the most impressive films in the Cannes main competition.

“The Strangers’ Case” starring Omar Sy is one of the most moving films at this year’s Berlinale. Director Brandt Andersen, who worked, among others, in refugee camps in Syria, Jordan and Turkey, created a dramatic story with four different perspectives on war and the search for refuge. The film won 31 awards around the world, including the London Independent Film Awards for best director and best foreign film, and a special award at the Berlinale.

“Andersen’s debut is an important voice in the discussion about the refugee crisis, in which the perspective of perceiving the problem becomes important. The creators use the subjective narrative initiated by ‘Rashômon’ and, like Akira Kurosawa, they analytically confront each other’s versions of intertwining stories,” says Malwina Czajka, festival director.

When tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, a chain reaction begins involving five families in four countries. Brandt Andersen’s work is certainly one of the most important film voices in the discussion about the migration crisis, next to Agnieszka Holland’s “The Green Border”. It tells the story of refugees, soldiers, mercenaries and human traffickers who are cogs in the political game. The screening of “The Strangers’ Case” on Sunday, October 27, during the 15th Kamera Akcja Festival will be the Polish premiere of the film.

What will happen if we cross the cult series “The Office” with the famous “The Social Network” by David Fincher? This question will certainly be answered by Michał Oleszczyk, who will once again host a SpoilerMaster Live discussion with festival viewers during the 15th edition of the Kamera Akcja Festival, this time after the premiere screening of “BlackBerry” on Saturday, October 26. Matt Johnson’s film is the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of the world’s first smartphone.

Filled with excellent dialogues and original humor, the story of a start-up that revolutionized the mobile telephony market is a perfect example of independent cinema that captivates with its narrative lightness and, at the same time, is a nostalgic trip to the times when everything was possible in business. “BlackBerry” had its world premiere at the Berlinale in 2023 as part of the Main Competition. Since then, Matt Johnson’s film has won over 25 awards around the world, and this year it was awarded the VFCC Award for Best Canadian Film.

The anniversary edition of the Kamera Akcja Festival is attended by over 60 guests, including Oscar winners – sound designer Tarn Willers, creators appreciated in Cannes – director Magnus von Horn, producer Mariusz Włodarski and rising cinema stars – actress Nel Kaczmarek, awarded in Gdynia. “We want to show cinema that provokes serious discussion and leaves no one indifferent,” explains Przemysław Glajzner, director of Action Camera.

From the Main Competition of the Gdynia Film Festival, Justyna Mytnik’s “Wet Monday” will be released on camera. The film co-produced by the City of Łódź is a moving story of 15-year-old Klara and a strong voice in the discussion about trauma. After the screening, the audience will have the opportunity to meet the film crew, including: with producer Marta Gmosińska, cinematographer Maciej Twardowski and editor Nikodem Chabior, as well as actresses Julia Polaczek and Nel Kaczmarek (October 27, 12:15).

The festival will open with a pre-premiere screening of “Girl with a Needle” directed by Magnus von Horn. The story, set just after World War I, is based on real events that shocked 20th century Denmark. The titular girl with a needle, Karoline, becomes pregnant, loses her job at the factory and is left to her own devices. The film is a Danish candidate for the Oscar, premiered in Cannes, and won 11 awards at the Polish Feature Film Festival. After the screening, there will be a meeting with the director and producer Mariusz Włodarski (October 24, 6:00 p.m.).

At the Kamera Akcja Festival, conversations about audiovisual art are as important as screenings. Three discussions, which are the highlights of the festival days, will be led by Michał Pabiś-Orzeszyna from the University of Łódź. During the “PRIME TIME” panel on Friday (October 25, 3 p.m.), producers and scriptwriters of popular Polish productions will talk about the Polish TV series market. On Sunday (October 27, 3 p.m.) we will discuss a controversial, but also extremely important topic – “SENSITIVITY”. It will be a conversation about censorship, cancel culture and nostalgia, with participants including Mateusz Witkowski from Podcastex and journalist Maja Głogowska.

On Saturday (October 26, 3 p.m.), the most industry-specific topic is “NETWORK”, in which the interlocutors will reveal the behind-the-scenes relationships between festivals, producers, distributors, creators and film critics. A conversation about communicating vessels in the film environment will take place with the participation of the director of the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, Joanna Łapińska, producer Joanna Szymańska and film critic Miłosz Stelmach. Additionally, participants can expect meetings with creators working on foreign markets and journalistic workshops conducted by experienced film critics, such as Łukasz Maciejewski (October 25, Friday, 10:00).

On Friday, October 25 at At 6:45 p.m. there will be a special screening of “Business Zones” and an acting masterclass, during which Christian Friedel, the star of the production, will talk about the behind-the-scenes of working with Jonathan Glazer and Michael Haneke. On Saturday, October 26, the organizers invite you to a sound case study (12:15 p.m., Cinema of the Film School in Łódź) with the participation of Tarn Willers, one of the most recognized specialists in the industry, awarded, among others, Oscar and BAFTA for the sound for this film. Also premiering during the Action Camera will be “RED PATH” by Lotfi Achour with cinematography by Wojciech Staroń, which delighted viewers during this year’s festival in Locarno. The creators, including producers Joanna Szymańska and Krystyna Kantor, will meet the audience after the screening (October 26).

This year, the VHS Hell collective will also return to Łódź, at whose shows with a live narrator you can see absurd and fascinating B-class films at the same time. Participants will have the opportunity to watch “Demonoid: Messenger of Death” by Alfredo Zacarías (October 26, at 22:30).

The festival will also include the International Authors Spotlight Competition, during which you will be able to see the most interesting short films by young creators from around the world – from feature films, through documentaries, to animations.

This year the festival takes place in three locations. On October 21, at 12:00, online reservations for season ticket holders will begin. It is worth knowing what screenings you are planning to attend. Before this happens, however, it should be remembered that this year’s passes are on sale only until October 10, because just 4 days later (October 14) the online edition starts, with a record number of screenings this year, including 16 full-length titles and short films. Justyna Mytnik and Magnus von Horn.

The 15th Kamera Akcja festival will take place from October 24 to 27, 2024 in Łódź and from October 14 to 23, 2024 online on the Think Film platform.