31/01/2006

Polish candidate in official competition at the Rotterdam Festival, Ode to Joy (Oda do radosci) is the collective work of three students from the famous film school at Lodz : Anna Kazejak-Dawid, Jan Komasa and Maciej Migas.

Since the opening of borders and the end of communist oppression, we can now believe in a new era for Eastern Europe. However, according to recent estimations, almost 300,000 young Poles have already left the country. This strange exodus is something that the three filmmakers are trying to solve through three stories. In "Silesia", Aga comes back from London to discover her father on strike following the closure of his factory, his mother laid off from the hairdressers where she worked, and her best friend disappointed with the start of her marriage. In "Warsaw", Peras is a talented rapper but is humiliated by his girlfriend’s father. And in "Pomerania", Wiktor is snubbed by his boss while his father is going mad. Reasons enough for these young people to leave their country to return to an idealised London.

Through their characters, the three stories offer a very personal perception of the standard of life in a society that is beyond them. Even though each episode has its own unique style, they all deal with, in a profoundly human way, contemporary despair. "We are the first generation of this free Poland", explain the directors. "We grew up in an expanding economy, in a country with open borders. But we were brought up in an atmosphere of the frustration of our parents, and we are incapable of facing up to the new reality." Their view is correct and delicate. And if the film appears to be a cry for help, it also holds a message of hope.

Ode to joy is produced by Akson Studio/ TVP, with support from Canal+ Polska and APF.

(Translated from French)