The grand opening of the 2018 Polish Film Festival features a cinematic first—a fully oil-painted production. Loving Vincent explores the controversial life and death of Vincent van Gogh, with artwork done in the Post-Impressionistic style of the renowned Dutch artist.
“Every single frame of the movie was first created as an oil painting and then photographed, with more than 65,000 paintings made by 125 professional artists from all over the world, says Jakub Czernik, a comparative literature scholar at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. “While this wouldn’t have been possible without modern technology, Loving Vincent goes back to the roots of cinema, giving us film through photography and paintings.”
Czernik will discuss the film before its showing on Tuesday, November 6 at the Dryden Theatre.
What follows the grand opening are eight dramatic movies dealing with human challenge, romance, and Polish history.
“The festival showcases internationally-recognized films that would not otherwise be seen here,” says Bozenna Sobolewska, administrative assistant at the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies, a co-sponsor of the festival. “Along with providing glimpses into life in Poland through the years, they tackle universal themes, making them relevant to audiences everywhere.”
Following the grand opening, all films will be shown at the Little Theatre.
The festival, now in its 21st year, presents classic Polish cinema, as well as contemporary works produced by the newest generation of the country’s filmmakers. It’s sponsored by the Skalny Center, the Polish Film Institute, the Polish Filmmakers Association, and the Polish Heritage Society of Rochester.
