14th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival, 2007 at the Michigan Theater, 603 Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

• 4:00 p.m. Grand Opening
• 4:15 p.m. The Lilpop Sisters and Their Passions (Siostry Lilpop i ich miłości) directed by Bożena Garus-Hockuba, 2005 (87 min., documentary): The story of the four Lilpop sisters from a well-known family in pre-war Warsaw. It is the portrayal of their more or less happy relationships. The movie, in focusing around a series of private histories, also reveals significant aspects of Polish history from pre-war times to the realities of the post-war immigrant community.
• 6:00 p.m. Saviour Square (Plac Zbawiciela) directed by Joanna Kos and Krzysztof Krauze, 2006 (105 min., drama): [12] A true story showing the crisis of the contemporary family life. The loss of a chance for a new flat, the lack of understanding between husband and wife, and the enormous efforts made to fulfill their desires lead to the breakdown of the family. The film tells about the necessity of empathy, the need for discerning and respecting the needs of other people as well as love, which is capable of overcoming even the most difficult, seemingly hopeless situations.
• Intermission
• 8:15 p.m. Breaking the Wall (Głową mur przebijesz) directed by Grażyna Ogrodowska and Leszek Furman , 2006 (45 min., documentary): A film about the Fighting Solidarity Organization: “It wasn’t a political party or any sort of secret resistance, we were just banging our heads against the wall of ideology, of Communism, of lies, and we managed to smash it”.
• 9:15 p.m. Testosterone (Testosteron) directed by Tomasz Konecki and Andrzej Saramonowicz, 2007 (125 min., comedy): A quiet town prepares to welcome a famous wedding into its suburbs, only to discover that not everything is going to go as planned …

Sunday, November 11, 2007

• 2:00 p.m. The 52 Percent (52 procent) directed by Rafał Skalski, 2007 (19 min., documentary): 52% is the perfect leg length to height ratio. This is one of the most important criteria for admitting children to the Russian Ballet Academy in Saint Petersburg. Ałła has two months to amend her proportions.
• 2:30 p.m. What the Sun Has Seen (Co słonko widziało) directed by Micha ³ Rosa, 2006 (107 min., drama): The lives of three people in Polish Silesia, each of whom needs a large sum of money, become intertwined. They all want the same things: to change their lives, stand up for themselves and live their dreams.
• Intermission
• 5:00 p.m. Immensity of Justice (Bezmiar sprawiedliwości) directed by Wiesław Saniewski, 2006 (128 min., drama): Based on a crime committed in the 1990s: a television director was convicted to 25 years in prison despite the lack of evidence against him. This film attempts to describe the human nature: the of state of mind of people who, judging others, often determine their fate.
• Discussion with Wiesław Saniewski, film director.

Biography of Wiesław Saniewski

Wiesław Saniewski, born 1948 in Wrocław, Poland, Saniewski graduated in mathematics at the Wroclaw University and went on to study screenwriting at the Lodz Film School, where he wrote several screenplays. He worked as an assistant to Andrzej Wajda. In 1971, he graduated with the short film `Big World’ (Wielki Świat) based on Alberto Moravia’s “Smells and a Bone”. His first feature film was completed in 1981,’ Free Lancer’ (Wolny Strzelec). It was his next film `Custody’ (Nadzór), made in 1983, that brought him international renown. The film received several awards at numerous film festivals: FIPRESCI Prize at the Mannheim Festival and a Gdansk Lion for the best debut, the best actress and the best cinematography. Saniewski’s films brought him into conflict with the authorities, and his films were banned until the fall of the socialist regime.

Tickets sold for blocks of films and events: $10 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens.

All films with English subtitles.

Program subject to changes without prior notice.