Winner of Silver Lion awards at the Gdynia film festival, the highly successful film debut of Jana Komasa – one of the most promising young Polish directors.
The first big role of Jakub Gierszała that earned him a nomination for the prestigious Zbyszek Cybulski award.
The screenplay was inspired by the article “Please, please, please” published in “Wysokie obcasy” about the suicide of Magda Malarowska, who was diagnosed with depression.
A suggestive and revealing portrait of modern youth. It showed the problem Internet addiction for the first time in the history of Polish cinematography – the destructive influence of social media, bullying and the effects of false anonymity (and impunity) in the online world.
The film spoke out to young viewers thanks to, among other things, a modern visual form and the use of popular technologies. Traditional cinematography is intertwined with 3D computer animations similar to computer games and the styles of manga and anime.
Unable to obtain support from his family and friends, the protagonist tries to escape from his problems into the virtual realm.
Dominik, a sensitive teenager from a wealthy but dysfunctional family is humiliated and rejected by his peers when he accidentally discloses his homosexual tendencies. The heartbroken boy finds understanding in his relations with Sylwia, a girl he meets online who is fascinated with auto-destruction a and death. Dominik sinks deeper and deeper into the virtual world losing touch with reality and escaping normal life. His parents and doctors are unable to see how dangerous the situation has become and as a result are unable to prevent the tragedy that unfolds before their eyes.
The film was first screened on February 12, 2011 at the International Film Festival in Berlin in the “Panorama” category.
Awards
Gdynia Polish Feature Film Festival:
- Silver Lions,
- Best Sound Design (Bartosz Putkiewicz),
- Best Costume Design (Dorota Roqueplo)
Giffoni Valle Piana International Festival of Films for Children and Youth:
- Golden Gryphon (Generation +16),
- Arca Cinemagiovani Award,
- Best Music Score Award (Michał Jacaszek)
Wroclaw International Film Festival “New Horizons”:
- The prize for the debut in the competition “New Polish Cinema” (Jan Komasa)
- Andrzej Munk Prize for a cinematography debut (Radosław Ładczuk)
- Zbyszek Cybulski People’s Choice Award (Jakub Gierszał)
Golden Duck (awarded by Film magazine), in categories:
- Best Film,
- Best Script (Jan Komasa),
- Best Cinematography (Radosław Ładczuk),
- Best Actor (Jakub Gierszał)
Bydgoszcz The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography “Plus Camerimage”:
- Best Polish Film in Polish Films Competition (Radosław Ładczuk),
- Best Cinematographer Debut (Radosław Ładczuk)
Eagle (Polish Film Award), awards in categories:
- Best Editing (Bartosz Pietras),
- Discovery of the Year (Jan Komasa)
Trailer
