POLISH PRODUCTIONS TRIUMPH AT THE ETIUDA&ANIMA IFF
Andrzej Danis's Debtors claims Silver Dinosaur whilst Izabela Plucińska's Joko receives Special Mention
Etiuda&Anima, an international film festival held in Kraków's, continues to showcase both professional animated films and debut works by emerging filmmakers and students from all over the globe. The festival's rich program encompasses competitive screenings, workshops, artist talks, and themed lectures, drawing animation enthusiasts and cinephiles alike. Renowned for championing creative innovation and pioneering techniques, Etiuda&Anima has established itself as a vital platform for emerging creators, masterfully bridging traditional and contemporary approaches to film while offering viewers a wide range of film forms and styles.
This year's international competition favoured Polish productions, with two films receiving recognition. Debtors by Andrzej Danis impressed in the Etiuda category, captivating festival audiences and securing the Silver Dinosaur award. This powerful short documentary tackles a pressing social issue: in Poland, merely two out of ten parents meet their child maintenance obligations in full. The film's narrative unfolds as the director, whilst preparing to stage a court scene with his mother, encounters others who, like himself, have never received their court-ordered maintenance payments. He takes advantage of this situation to tell these peoples' stories: “You're not my child”, “You weren't good to me”, “I haven't got the money”. What justifications did fathers use to avoid paying? And can anything be done to change this situation in Poland?
In the Anima section, Izabela Plucińska's Joko received an honorary mention. The titular character is a young man who supports his entire family by working at a cistern. On his second work anniversary, mysterious delegates arrive, making an extraordinary demand: to be carried on his back. Though initially resistant to this degrading practice, Joko eventually succumbs to peer pressure and financial necessity. The delegates' dominance intensifies as red blisters emerge on Joko's back, and one passenger becomes permanently affixed to him. Each subsequent delegate who touches Joko becomes similarly stuck, creating a grotesque human tableau. Joko presents a grotesque vision of perpetual exploitation and human dominance, blending absurdist humour with macabre elements.
A complete list of awarded films is available here.