"OUR CURSE" WINS IN MONTERREY
On 31 August, the 10th edition of the Mexican FIC Monterrey festival came to an end. Among the festival winners, there is the film by Tomek Śliwiński, "Our Curse," which was chosen the Best Short Documentary of the International Competition.
"Our Curse," a very personal documentary film by Tomasz Śliwiński, produced by Warsaw Film School, gradually becomes the festival favourite of the year. In 2014, the film has been shown at almost 20 international festivals, winning four awards. The screening at the Mexican FIC Monterrey festival, organised for the 10th time, brought the film yet another victory. "Our Curse" was appreciated by the jury of the International Short Film Competition, giving the film the Best Short Documentary award.
"Our Curse" is a personal confession of the director, who, together with his wife, has to face a very rare, incurable disease of their new-born child - Ondine's Curse (congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, CCHS). People afflicted with this disease stop breathing during sleep and require life-long use of respirator to support their respiratory functions. The director documents the first months of his family's life after the birth of the child. At the beginning, the boy is still in hospital, but soon comes home with the entire medical equipment, necessary for his life. The film shows the process of getting accustomed to the fear related to this disease and the gradual adaptation to this new situation.
The full list of award-winning films at the festival in Monterrey can be found on the festival's website.