Recently awarded multiple awards at the Gdynia Film Festival (Best Film, Screenplay and Editing, and the Audience Award), The Altar Boys [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Piotr Domalewski
scheda film] is the fourth feature by Poland’s Piotr Domalewski. Cineuropa met the director at the 26th Arras Film Festival where his new opus was unveiled in competition in an international premiere.

Cineuropa: What drew you to this project which has Christianity at its core?
Piotr Domalewski: The origin of the story is rooted in my own experience, because I was an altar boy myself for 12 years, until I left my hometown to study. Between the ages of six and 18, I didn’t miss a single Sunday Mass. It was more a matter of tradition than faith, because the idea of a perfect blend of tradition and religion is very typical of the Polish Church: a traditional way of thinking and a traditional way of life, as if it were an integral part of the surrounding environment. The reason I wanted to tell this story is that, even though I’m no longer as involved with the Church as I was back then, I have a clear view of how it’s been corrupted by politics. Prominent Catholic figures have done some terrifying things and covered them up. And we expect more of an institution which basically passes judgement on what’s moral and what isn’t, on good and evil, on what’s just and what’s unjust. I grew up with the Church as a moral compass. As I got older, I realised that compass was pointing in a very different direction. And I felt I had to address that as a filmmaker.

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What about choosing four very young teenagers as protagonists?
Had they been adults, the film would have had a moralising air. When thinking about a protagonist who’d be honest in their approach to faith and to the Church, whose life would align with the Bible, I realised they had to be children, young people, because they’re not yet at a stage where they put things into perspective. Things are either bad or good in their eyes, which is very close to the Bible.

How did you balance the seriousness of the subject (the corruption of the Church, the depression suffered by one of the boys’ mothers, social classes, etc.) with a humorous tone which is in keeping with the age of the protagonists, as they decide to redistribute the money to the poor?
My favourite films are Manchester by the Sea by Kenneth Lonergan and Beginners by Mike Mills, where the protagonists experience intense drama, even trauma, but they’re still surrounded by humour; it almost imposes itself on them. Going to the cinema is a social event. You’re there, in the dark, with strangers, and humour helps you forget you’re with strangers. And if you laugh together, it becomes much easier to feel the drama. In every situation and dramatic event in life, there’s a lot of humour, if you look at it with the necessary distance. That’s how I see the world.

What were your main directorial intentions?
The energy of our young actors was stronger than anything. We had to grab the camera and follow them. It wasn’t necessarily the best way to shoot, but it was the only option. Me and my director of photography, Piotr Sobocinski Jr - the best Polish cinematographer, in my opinion - made compromises in terms of lighting and staging, because our four youngsters did everything their own way. But after shooting the film, we realised we’d done the right thing because if we’d forced them into very wide shots, it wouldn’t have felt natural. And their acting is very natural. I think 50 to 70% of the film depends on their performances. Without them, there wouldn’t be a film. They’re non-professionals and everything depends on their energy, so it’s the very essence of the film.

You pitched your upcoming film, The Witch, at Arras Days. What will it be about?
It’s based on the true story of Barbara Zdunk who’s believed to be the last woman burned at the stake in Europe. It was in 1811. It was an incredibly terrifying thing, and I think it’s really universal because, in a way, metaphorically, it resonates with our times: accusations on social media, witch hunts, a desperate need for a diagnosis and to find something to blame. I hope to shoot the film in August-September next year, and there’ll also be a winter shoot afterwards.