Holland’s In Darkness represents Poland in Oscar race
Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness has been chosen as Poland’s entry in the nomination race for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. This was announced by the Oscars Committee appointed by Polish Culture Minister Bogdan Zdrojewski and chaired by film director Dariusz Gajewski.
Co-produced by Poland (Studio Filmowe Zebra), Germany (Schmidtz Katze Filmkollektiv GmbH) and Canada (Hidden Films Inc), In Darkness tells the true story of a Polish man named Leopold Socha (Robert Więckiewicz). During the Second World War, his status changed from small-time thief to hero when he risked his own life and that of his close relatives by hiding some Jews threatened with extermination in a water pipe network.
"This is the third film I’ve made about the Holocaust, a subject to which art continues to return, because we’re still unable to answer most of the questions it throws up", said Holland. The director added that she didn’t set out to deal with broad political ideas, but she wanted to talk about "ordinary people, who can be loathsome and heroic, sometimes both at the same time".
The rights to the film were bought, last February, by Sony Pictures Classics, which is specialised in the US distribution of foreign-language films. In Poland, the film will be released next January by Kino Świat.
(Translated from French)
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