"STARTING POINT" ON THE SHORTLIST FOR THE ACADEMY AWARDS
On October 26, American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a shortlist of ten documentary films, which have a chance for an Academy Award nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category. Among the films, which will compete for the nomination for the Academy Award, there is "Starting Point" by Michał Szcześniak.
Ten films, which still have a chance to win an Academy Award, were selected from among 74 films qualified for this year's competition in the Documentary Short Subject category. This is how the full shortlist in an alphabetical order looks like, together with the films' producers:
“Body Team 12,” RYOT Films and Vulcan Productions
“Chau, beyond the Lines,” Cynasty Films
“Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah,” Jet Black Iris America
“50 Feet from Syria,” Spin Film
“A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” SOC Films
“Last Day of Freedom,” Living Condition
“Minerita,” Kanaki Films
“My Enemy, My Brother,” Fathom Film Group
“Starting Point,” Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association
“The Testimony,” Atria Film in association with Escape Artists
Five films from the above list will get the Academy Award nominations on 14 January 2014. The award ceremony, during which the winners in each category will be announced, will be held on 28 February 2016.
"Starting Point" tells the story of Aneta, who rebelled when she was 19 years old. She went to prison for murder. Nine years later, doing time she starts working as a carer. Every day, she leaves the prison walls to go to the rest home and take care of Ms Helena, suffering from rheumatism. The conversations with her charge make Aneta aware how much she has in life and let her believe in herself and face the difficult trial which awaits her.
In 2014, two Polish productions were shortlisted: "Our Curse" by Tomasz Śliwiński and "Joanna" by Aneta Kopacz. Both of these films were nominated for the Academy Award.