POLISH FILMS AT AFI DOCS!
This year the selection committee of the AFI DOCS Festival invited to the competition two Polish documentaries. In the shorts section we will see ”One Two Zero” by Anna Pawluczuk, and in the feature films section ”Over the Limit” by Marta Prus.
Around 50 films were invited to the feature film section including Marta Prus’s documentary "Over the Limit". It is a portrait of a Russian rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun. The film presents a crucial year in her life: Margarita has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to represent her country at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and win a golden Olympic medal. We get a unique opportunity to see the everyday training regime from the inside and discover a special bond between Margarita and her two coaches - Amina Zaripova and Irina Viner. "Over the Limit" is an intimate drama about brutal relations that lead to success.
In the same time almost 30 films from around the world, including Anna Pawluczuk's documentary "One Two Zero", were selected to the Short Films Selections competition section. The film protagonist Justyna is a nine year old girl who is training professionally rhythmic gymnastics. Her life is filled with trainings and competitions, where she often has to exceed her own limits and overcome weaknesses. With her incredible strength and willpower she surpasses her colleagues in persistence and determination. Despite the enormous effort she doesn't always manages to get to the top three. When she slowly loses hope of winning medals herself, she decides to start training the five-year-old gymnasts from her club.
Another film made by a Polish filmmaker taking part in the short documentary competition is "Quiet Hours" by Paul Szynol. The film tells the story of Donald Hall, American poet who struggles with various kinds of solitude.
AFI DOCS is a five-day-long documentary film festival organised in Washington by the American Film Institute. This year the festival will show 92 films from 22 countries. The event will take place June 13–17.
More information about AFI DOCS is available on the festival website.