The Art of Breaking the Ground (2017), 29:59 (51:40 directors cut edition)
„The Art of Breaking the Ground” is a documentary exploration of the demoscene culture in Poland. It is an effort to show a subculture that has survived tremendous changes in digital technology despite the fact that it is heavily dependent on it. The film is an attempt to understand the phenomenon of the demoscene: why people continue supporting it and why they return to retro hardware after years to create audio-visual art with very distinctive aesthetics that clearly tells it apart from what you can witness in art galleries. Moreover, the documentary also tries to answer the question: why retro hardware has so much creative potential despite all its inherent limitations and how those limitations have been disappearing as the technology advances.
Trailers:
youtu.be/UlgM0jV-1Zg
youtu.be/IkJGITKZ44Q
Film:
youtu.be/NVEBWUM8lko
Screenings:
2018 IX Edukino - Festival of films for education, 13-14 November, National Museum, Warsaw, Poland
2018 11. FILMOFFO; 23-24 Fenruary 2018, Opolskie Centrum Kultury, Opole Lubelskie, Poland
2017 XXIII Festival of Documentary Forms "NURT", 20-24 November, Kieleckie Centrum Kultury, Kielce, Poland
2017 11. Offeliada - Film Festival, 2-5 November, MOK, Gniezno, Poland
2017 I Festival of Amateur Films "STOPKLATKA", Rypińsi Dom Kultury, 7-8 October, Rypin, Poland
2017 RetroKomp / LOAD ERROR 2017, 20-22 October, Gdańsk, Poland
2017 Decrunch 2117; 2 June, , Theatre "ToTu", ul. Hubska 6, Wrocław, Poland
2017 AmiParty XXI, 11-13 August, Chełm, Poland
2017 Riverwash 9, 1-3 September, Katowice, Poland
2017 Datastorm, 1-3 September, Gothenburg, Sweden
„The Art of Breaking the Ground” is a documentary exploration of the demoscene culture in Poland. It is an effort to show a subculture that has survived tremendous changes in digital technology despite the fact that it is heavily dependent on it. The film is an attempt to understand the phenomenon of the demoscene: why people continue supporting it and why they return to retro hardware after years to create audio-visual art with very distinctive aesthetics that clearly tells it apart from what you can witness in art galleries. Moreover, the documentary also tries to answer the question: why retro hardware has so much creative potential despite all its inherent limitations and how those limitations have been disappearing as the technology advances.
Trailers:
youtu.be/UlgM0jV-1Zg
youtu.be/IkJGITKZ44Q
Film:
youtu.be/NVEBWUM8lko
Screenings:
2018 IX Edukino - Festival of films for education, 13-14 November, National Museum, Warsaw, Poland
2018 11. FILMOFFO; 23-24 Fenruary 2018, Opolskie Centrum Kultury, Opole Lubelskie, Poland
2017 XXIII Festival of Documentary Forms "NURT", 20-24 November, Kieleckie Centrum Kultury, Kielce, Poland
2017 11. Offeliada - Film Festival, 2-5 November, MOK, Gniezno, Poland
2017 I Festival of Amateur Films "STOPKLATKA", Rypińsi Dom Kultury, 7-8 October, Rypin, Poland
2017 RetroKomp / LOAD ERROR 2017, 20-22 October, Gdańsk, Poland
2017 Decrunch 2117; 2 June, , Theatre "ToTu", ul. Hubska 6, Wrocław, Poland
2017 AmiParty XXI, 11-13 August, Chełm, Poland
2017 Riverwash 9, 1-3 September, Katowice, Poland
2017 Datastorm, 1-3 September, Gothenburg, Sweden
12 months of sun (2016),
part 1: teacher, doctor, roney
part 2: bishan
12 months of sun is a two-part documentary film.
The first part refers to the social situation of the inhabitants, with particular emphasis on the roles of women and children in local communities. The subtitle of the first part ("Teacher, Doctor, Roney") refers to the dreams of the youngest children. Dreams about their own future. In many cases, these dreams remain unfulfilled.
The second part of the subtitle, "Bishan" (in Oromo this word means water) is about one of the most important problems of the inhabitants of Ethiopia. Drinking water is one of the most valuable things for the local community. What we can hear from the people, is that despite a number of positive changes taking place in the country in terms of access to water, diseases associated with the lack of it, are still serious problem, and efforts to resolve the problem are inadequate.
Screenings of Part 1:
2018 International Film Festival "MFFN - Kochać człowieka"; 25-27.01.2017; Oswiecim, Poland
2017 Festival of documentary films "KINO Z DUSZĄ", 23-25 November 2017. Warsaw, PKiN
2017 24th International Independent Film Festival in the name of Ireneusz Radź PUBLICYSTYKA 2017,place 20 – 22 Oct 2017 at The Culture Center "Koźle", Kędzierzyn – Koźle, Poland
2017 6. small Festival of Polish Films 'TOSIEK', 3-7 October, CKiS Skierniewice, Poland
2017 BlueBox Film Festival, 19-23 September, MOK, Olsztyn, Poland
2017 VII Filmowe poludnie, 22-23 September, MBP Mikolow, Poland
2017 'Ogien w glowie' XIII National Review of Amateur Films, MOK Zgierz, 25.08.2017, Zgierz, Poland
2017 13th 60 seconds or less video festival, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland, USA
2017 XIV Ustka Festival of Amateur Films UFF(o)A, 9 June, Ustka, Poland
2017 Screening at Faktyczny Dom Kultury, Istitute of reportage, 10.04.2017, Warsaw, Poland
2016 Festival of Amateur Films, Lapy, Poland, 3.12.2016
2016 Three Little Wolves, Films about Children and Youth, Trubarjeva Hiša Literature Stritarjeva ulica 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2016 3rd prize, 6th Competition of amateur reportage, SDK, Warsaw, Poland, October 21,
Screenings of part 2:
2018 25th International Independent Film Festival in the name of Ireneusz Radź, 19-20 October; Culture Center "Chemik" in Kędzierzyn – Koźle (Poland)
2018 Sandalia Sustainability Film Festival, 5 October 2018 screening at Centro Servizi Culturali U.N.L.A., Oristano, Italy
2018 XV the all-Polish and the XI International Ecological Film Festival named of Maciej Łukowski „Ekofilm 2018”; 17-20.05.2018,Nowogard, Poland
2017 Honorable mention, 7th Competition of amateur reportage, SDK, Warsaw, Poland, May 12, 2017
2017 13th 60 seconds or less video festival, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland, USA
2017 VII Festival of Educational Films "Edukino"; cinema at National Museum; 22 to 24 November, Warsaw, Poland
part 1: teacher, doctor, roney
part 2: bishan
12 months of sun is a two-part documentary film.
The first part refers to the social situation of the inhabitants, with particular emphasis on the roles of women and children in local communities. The subtitle of the first part ("Teacher, Doctor, Roney") refers to the dreams of the youngest children. Dreams about their own future. In many cases, these dreams remain unfulfilled.
The second part of the subtitle, "Bishan" (in Oromo this word means water) is about one of the most important problems of the inhabitants of Ethiopia. Drinking water is one of the most valuable things for the local community. What we can hear from the people, is that despite a number of positive changes taking place in the country in terms of access to water, diseases associated with the lack of it, are still serious problem, and efforts to resolve the problem are inadequate.
Screenings of Part 1:
2018 International Film Festival "MFFN - Kochać człowieka"; 25-27.01.2017; Oswiecim, Poland
2017 Festival of documentary films "KINO Z DUSZĄ", 23-25 November 2017. Warsaw, PKiN
2017 24th International Independent Film Festival in the name of Ireneusz Radź PUBLICYSTYKA 2017,place 20 – 22 Oct 2017 at The Culture Center "Koźle", Kędzierzyn – Koźle, Poland
2017 6. small Festival of Polish Films 'TOSIEK', 3-7 October, CKiS Skierniewice, Poland
2017 BlueBox Film Festival, 19-23 September, MOK, Olsztyn, Poland
2017 VII Filmowe poludnie, 22-23 September, MBP Mikolow, Poland
2017 'Ogien w glowie' XIII National Review of Amateur Films, MOK Zgierz, 25.08.2017, Zgierz, Poland
2017 13th 60 seconds or less video festival, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland, USA
2017 XIV Ustka Festival of Amateur Films UFF(o)A, 9 June, Ustka, Poland
2017 Screening at Faktyczny Dom Kultury, Istitute of reportage, 10.04.2017, Warsaw, Poland
2016 Festival of Amateur Films, Lapy, Poland, 3.12.2016
2016 Three Little Wolves, Films about Children and Youth, Trubarjeva Hiša Literature Stritarjeva ulica 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2016 3rd prize, 6th Competition of amateur reportage, SDK, Warsaw, Poland, October 21,
Screenings of part 2:
2018 25th International Independent Film Festival in the name of Ireneusz Radź, 19-20 October; Culture Center "Chemik" in Kędzierzyn – Koźle (Poland)
2018 Sandalia Sustainability Film Festival, 5 October 2018 screening at Centro Servizi Culturali U.N.L.A., Oristano, Italy
2018 XV the all-Polish and the XI International Ecological Film Festival named of Maciej Łukowski „Ekofilm 2018”; 17-20.05.2018,Nowogard, Poland
2017 Honorable mention, 7th Competition of amateur reportage, SDK, Warsaw, Poland, May 12, 2017
2017 13th 60 seconds or less video festival, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland, USA
2017 VII Festival of Educational Films "Edukino"; cinema at National Museum; 22 to 24 November, Warsaw, Poland
Last Pony in a village (2015), time 14:44
John Pony, resident of the village Seredzice. He is 65 years old pensioner living in run-down house with no access to running water. He is addicted to alcohol, which seems to be for him the meaning of life.
The film shows his silhouette in the context of his personality and changes in living conditions. Home renovation is not only a chance to improve the quality of life, a substitute of humanity that he experiences, but also the realization of his plans which he dreamed about for many years. Positive changes taking place in his surrounding area, are remaining in strong contrast with his unchanging addiction.
This documentary is a symbolic drawing attention to human loneliness, being lost, addictions. But he is also extremely sensitive and full of empathy.
John Pony, resident of the village Seredzice. He is 65 years old pensioner living in run-down house with no access to running water. He is addicted to alcohol, which seems to be for him the meaning of life.
The film shows his silhouette in the context of his personality and changes in living conditions. Home renovation is not only a chance to improve the quality of life, a substitute of humanity that he experiences, but also the realization of his plans which he dreamed about for many years. Positive changes taking place in his surrounding area, are remaining in strong contrast with his unchanging addiction.
This documentary is a symbolic drawing attention to human loneliness, being lost, addictions. But he is also extremely sensitive and full of empathy.
Recycle (2013), time 3:20
The world is an arena of continuous events, conflicts and wars. Every day, in every country, we can hear hundreds of informations filtered through the media. News are often manipulated to serve a specific ideology. TV picture for the average viewer determinates current trends. The film is an expression of rebellion against the worthless content that can be seen in the most popular TV stations. TV picture is subjected to intentional manipulations, through consistent audio and video distortion. Disturbances initially are small but they gradually deform the image by reducing it to the multiplicated center line of RGB pixels in CRT TV, which is accompanied by classic music. Television then becomes an object of audiovisual art. All content is recycled and television broadcast becomes an abstract image, giving the field to open a multi-faceted interpretation.
The world is an arena of continuous events, conflicts and wars. Every day, in every country, we can hear hundreds of informations filtered through the media. News are often manipulated to serve a specific ideology. TV picture for the average viewer determinates current trends. The film is an expression of rebellion against the worthless content that can be seen in the most popular TV stations. TV picture is subjected to intentional manipulations, through consistent audio and video distortion. Disturbances initially are small but they gradually deform the image by reducing it to the multiplicated center line of RGB pixels in CRT TV, which is accompanied by classic music. Television then becomes an object of audiovisual art. All content is recycled and television broadcast becomes an abstract image, giving the field to open a multi-faceted interpretation.
Give me water, please (2012), time 2:02
Give me water, please, by Anna Baranska is a simple production that, in a very well-constructed way, manages to transmit with great impact the consequences of lack of water in an African family told by one of its members: a young girl.
film editing - Michal Baranski
Give me water, please, by Anna Baranska is a simple production that, in a very well-constructed way, manages to transmit with great impact the consequences of lack of water in an African family told by one of its members: a young girl.
film editing - Michal Baranski
Side by side (2012), time 2:32
Simple picture. Components: a fluorescent lamp, pieces: 1. Multiplication of object and sounds. Fluorescent lamps are formed into an image, in subsequent stages of the film they are reproduced exponentially. Besides typical mathematical associations, geometric progression is also associated with human impact on the surrounding environment and technology, which it creates (eg systems 32 or 64 bit, etc.). Technological progress, of which we are eye-witnesses, is growing very rapidly. This may raise the question: are we able to keep up with every novelty? Image gradually becomes more and more chaotic, the lights flash faster and faster, which makes the initial order begin to emerge pictures, that are causing in us feeling of anxiety. Similar feelings may cause (and certainly should cause) science progress and human pressure on the surrounding area, especially on the environment.
Simple picture. Components: a fluorescent lamp, pieces: 1. Multiplication of object and sounds. Fluorescent lamps are formed into an image, in subsequent stages of the film they are reproduced exponentially. Besides typical mathematical associations, geometric progression is also associated with human impact on the surrounding environment and technology, which it creates (eg systems 32 or 64 bit, etc.). Technological progress, of which we are eye-witnesses, is growing very rapidly. This may raise the question: are we able to keep up with every novelty? Image gradually becomes more and more chaotic, the lights flash faster and faster, which makes the initial order begin to emerge pictures, that are causing in us feeling of anxiety. Similar feelings may cause (and certainly should cause) science progress and human pressure on the surrounding area, especially on the environment.
Journey through the unconsciousness (2011), time 2:13
A journey through the unconsciousness - recording of images that accompany us on the way that we are traveling by most frequently. The film is based on the photos, which captured not only some places and landscapes but also time and motion. The film shows unspecified locations, and therefore more universal. The same like each of us encounters during the road. Sounds that form the background to a picture is arranged by way of contrast. It suggests the presence of a man, but you can not find traces of him on the visual level.
A journey through the unconsciousness - recording of images that accompany us on the way that we are traveling by most frequently. The film is based on the photos, which captured not only some places and landscapes but also time and motion. The film shows unspecified locations, and therefore more universal. The same like each of us encounters during the road. Sounds that form the background to a picture is arranged by way of contrast. It suggests the presence of a man, but you can not find traces of him on the visual level.
In hiding (2010), time 5:06
The film talks about the cultural transformation which took place in most societies. The caring about cleanness, respect for other people's property (especially by people of the younger generation) has become something insignificant, and even undesirable. Therefore, social work does not contribute to the existing way of life today, forcing the performers to anonymity.
If someone demolishes, they do it openly. If someone fixes the reality, they do it in hiding.
The film talks about the cultural transformation which took place in most societies. The caring about cleanness, respect for other people's property (especially by people of the younger generation) has become something insignificant, and even undesirable. Therefore, social work does not contribute to the existing way of life today, forcing the performers to anonymity.
If someone demolishes, they do it openly. If someone fixes the reality, they do it in hiding.
Past-gone (2009), time 4:30
Near Lublin, behind a fence stands and old bus (there are only few left of this type in europe). It is in bad condition, rusted, damaged. Some plants are growing inside of it, it’s a trap for fly, butterfly. The bus have lost his old function. Film is a kind of an artistic creation, in which bus is going back to his best times, to travel one more time. And in its unreal, virtual travel he alives during projection, and with him his memories, and events of which he could be a witness.
Near Lublin, behind a fence stands and old bus (there are only few left of this type in europe). It is in bad condition, rusted, damaged. Some plants are growing inside of it, it’s a trap for fly, butterfly. The bus have lost his old function. Film is a kind of an artistic creation, in which bus is going back to his best times, to travel one more time. And in its unreal, virtual travel he alives during projection, and with him his memories, and events of which he could be a witness.
Man belongs to earth (2008), time 3:00
This animation made in the traditional technique of pencil drawing on paper and digital montage illustrates the disastrous consequences and reasons of climate change. The video looks similar to a conventional commercial but the “advertisements” expose the problems of climate change. A man is passively watching all the disasters passing by him. The artist proclaims: solutions exist!, and the man starts acting: he hands a famished child some bread, picks up garbage, etc. The final “ad” is an excerpt of Chief Seattle's letter to the U.S. President, saying that Earth doesn't belong to Man but Man belongs to Earth.
This animation made in the traditional technique of pencil drawing on paper and digital montage illustrates the disastrous consequences and reasons of climate change. The video looks similar to a conventional commercial but the “advertisements” expose the problems of climate change. A man is passively watching all the disasters passing by him. The artist proclaims: solutions exist!, and the man starts acting: he hands a famished child some bread, picks up garbage, etc. The final “ad” is an excerpt of Chief Seattle's letter to the U.S. President, saying that Earth doesn't belong to Man but Man belongs to Earth.
Impulse - i'm pulse (2008), time 3:03
The film is about city. About living in it. It's about our intimacy that is given to us by 30cm walls between us and our neighbours. Even if we can't hear them, they are very close to us.
Film is at Collection of Contemporary Art of National Audiovisual Institute in Poland.
http://ninateka.pl/film/ksw-anna-baranska-i-michal-baranski-impulse-i-m-pulse
The film is about city. About living in it. It's about our intimacy that is given to us by 30cm walls between us and our neighbours. Even if we can't hear them, they are very close to us.
Film is at Collection of Contemporary Art of National Audiovisual Institute in Poland.
http://ninateka.pl/film/ksw-anna-baranska-i-michal-baranski-impulse-i-m-pulse
Thing that wasn't possible yesterday is happening today and isn't a barrier for tomorrow (2007), time 2:24
The film is a critical commentary to 2007 parliamentary elections in Poland. The reality is presented as an overwhelming, embarrassing world which provokes uneasiness, the sense of absurdity, nonsense or even grotesque. At first, the main element of the film – a white and red candle – is burning with a strong and stable flame. However, once the political language (full of aggression, mutual accusations and incomprehensible barking) appears, the flame becomes unstable and eventually fades away. The whole image ends with the words: “In this ill system, the ignorant crowd (people) will accept everything”. The atmosphere of instability, insecurity and confusion is additionally intensified by the psychedelic music.
The film is a critical commentary to 2007 parliamentary elections in Poland. The reality is presented as an overwhelming, embarrassing world which provokes uneasiness, the sense of absurdity, nonsense or even grotesque. At first, the main element of the film – a white and red candle – is burning with a strong and stable flame. However, once the political language (full of aggression, mutual accusations and incomprehensible barking) appears, the flame becomes unstable and eventually fades away. The whole image ends with the words: “In this ill system, the ignorant crowd (people) will accept everything”. The atmosphere of instability, insecurity and confusion is additionally intensified by the psychedelic music.
Passing of time (2007), time 4:57
The purpose of the film is to preserve an abandoned and forgotten place ( my grandparents' house). Surprising, hardly visible and covered with dust image reports past events and combines them with those which are still to come. The film is about the passage of time, about facing memories , it tries to catch viewers' attention and make them discover their own meanings in the scattered objects.The place we contemplate does not exist in reality, there are objects which no longer belong to anybody and there is time which no longer concerns anybody.
The purpose of the film is to preserve an abandoned and forgotten place ( my grandparents' house). Surprising, hardly visible and covered with dust image reports past events and combines them with those which are still to come. The film is about the passage of time, about facing memories , it tries to catch viewers' attention and make them discover their own meanings in the scattered objects.The place we contemplate does not exist in reality, there are objects which no longer belong to anybody and there is time which no longer concerns anybody.