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FUTURE FRAMES 2021

Magdalena Gajewska • Réalisatrice de The Cracks

"L’image de la maternité telle qu’on la trouve dans l’espace public a commencé à sérieusement m'énerver”

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- La réalisatrice polonaise raconte comment elle a eu droit à une glace gratuite après la première mondiale de son court The Cracks dans le cadre des Future Frames de l'EFP au Festival de Karlovy Vary

Magdalena Gajewska • Réalisatrice de The Cracks

Cet article est disponible en anglais.

Polish director and screenwriter Magdalena Gajewska is a graduate of the Warsaw Film School who describes her works as focussing on “…those seemingly insignificant fragments of human life.”

This is true of her latest short The Cracks, recently having its world premiere as part of European Film Promotion’s Future Frames at the 55th edition of Karlovy Vary, which follows a woman suffering from postnatal depression. Moving back to her parents’ house with husband in tow, she tries to pull herself back together and stop her marriage falling apart. But an old flame from her past begins to make her question all her choices so far. The Cracks is a pointed character study that critiques modern Polish society, as well as the world’s attitude to femininity.

(L'article continue plus bas - Inf. publicitaire)

We caught up with Gajewska after the film screened to ask her about its origins and the reaction to the film.

Cineuropa: Where did the idea for The Cracks come from?
Magdalena Gajewska: For many years, I have been closely examining the role of women in society. Against this background, I began to create my own definition of a woman and myself in all of this. I began to deny all attempts to reduce me - a human being - to specific patterns or norms.

The image of motherhood that exists in the public space just started to piss me off. There is a lot of talk about the happiness that comes from the appearance of a child, about this great, irreplaceable love, about fulfilment. But there is no other side: nothing about pain, difficulties both emotional and physiological, and the loneliness that can emerge. The whole plot was bits taken from my life, and bits stolen from the history around me. I've lived with all of these thoughts and feelings gathering in me so long that when I sat down to write a script, it felt like it was writing itself.

How important was it for you to deal with all these issues especially in terms of the politics of modern-day Poland?
Poland is now represented by people who believe that the greatest values of every human being are tradition, the family in its conservative dimension and religion. There is a little space here to listen to those who think otherwise. The woman is seen very objectively here. Recent events banning abortion in Poland sparked a rebellion on a scale that I have witnessed for the first time in my life in this country.

This undeniably proves the growing awareness of society, and women in particular, about their value, subjectivity and independence. It is worrying, however, that the boundaries that will soon limit our freedom are crossed with small steps. Over the last year, using the LGBTQ community for political purposes has sparked a wave of hatred, it has become the main topic of political disputes, and in all this there are people who live in this country, work, pay taxes, create families and love.

What were your Future Frames experiences like?
I came back to Poland, full of nostalgia, memories and experiences that opened my heart on many different levels. First of all, meeting amazing people. We established intense relationships very quickly. The opportunity to get to know not only our creativity, but sometimes intimate stories, different perspectives, cultures, and in all of this some kind of universalism of emotions floating overhead. We said goodbye with tears in our eyes, but I sincerely hope that the strong ties between us will remain for many year: I am already planning a flight to Barcelona.

I learned something that was most important to me - the audience found universalism in my film. I was impressed with how many different points of view they had: it means that the film 'lives' and moves.

I also had some nice moments the day after the show. The gentleman who sold ice cream in Karlovy Vary recognized me, said that the story was very important to him, and as a thank you gave me the ice cream for free. I had goose-flesh all over my body. These are the most important moments for me as a creator that can happen.

What are you working on next?
Over a year ago, I read a reportage that touched me so much that I couldn't stop thinking
about it. It’s the story of 15-year-old Wiktor, a transgender boy who was transferred from one psychiatric hospital to another, with misdiagnoses that drowned out his own identity. Wiktor committed suicide after yet another stay in a psychiatric hospital.

The story is based on Wiktor’s life, which was described in the reportage as '…years of solitude', and it touched me and echoes in me to this day.  It is not only an exploration of maturing ad searching for the truth about one’s inner-self and identity, but also an insightful study of a flawed mental health-care system in Poland.

(L'article continue plus bas - Inf. publicitaire)

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