As the Western World struggled to understand the unprecedented atrocities of the Russian army in Ukraine, European citizens joined forces to welcome nearly 8 million refugees fleeing the country. What happened to those who stayed or who returned home? Can home even be called ‘home’ under the circumstances? Filmmakers Piotr Pawlus and Tomasz Wolski embark on a challenging mission to show, rather than tell, what is going on in the shelled-out cities and burned villages.
Content warning: depiction of war
CREW:
Director: Tomasz Wolski, Piotr Pawlus
Producer: Anna Gawlita, Arek Gielnik (co-producer)
Cinematographer: Piotr Pawlus
Sound: Igor Kazmirchuk
Production
Kijora Film, in co-prodution with Indi Film
Awards
Caligari Film Award at Berlin International Film Festival (2023, Nominee), FIPRESCI Prize at Berlin International Film Festival (2023, Nominee)
Director
Tomasz Wolski
Tomasz Wolski graduated from the Wajda School, got a PhD from the Lodz Film School, has participated in Berlinale Talents, and is a member of the European Film Academy.
Director, scriptwriter, editor and cameraman of over a dozen films awarded worldwide. His latest feature-length documentary 1970 has been screened at more than 50 international festivals worldwide and has won numerous awards, including at Visions du Réel, Krakow Film Festival, Zagrebdox, Festival Film Dokumenter, and Batumi International Art House Film Festival.Selected Filmography
The Fence (2022), 1970 (2021), An Ordinary Country (2020), A Problem (2020), Festival (2017), Daughter (2015), The Palace (2012), The Doctors (2011), Slowly (2010), H2O (2010), The Lucky Ones (2009), Gold Fish (2008), The Clinic (2006)
Director
Piotr Pawlus
Piotr Pawlus graduated in Cinematography and Photography from the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School. He also graduated from the Krakow School of Screenwriting and won the school's award for his treatment of the feature film Dreamer. He creates documentaries, feature films and commercials in Poland and abroad; these have won awards at international film festivals (including Gdynia FF, Film and Music Festival Küstendorf, the Youth and Film Koszalin Film Debut Festival in Poland, and 11 Go Short–Short IFF, Netherlands).
Selected Filmography
Documentary Film (2019), Shreds (2022), Stolen Images (2022), Let's Try to Jump Into the Well (2020), K2: The Impossible Descent (2020), You Haven't Seen What I've Seen (2019), Opera About Poland (2017), Totem (2017), It's Really Awesome (2017)
