| Director: | Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert |
|---|---|
| Production: | Lava Films (Agnieszka Wasiak, Mariusz Włodarski, Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert), Match Factory Productions (Viola Fügen, Michael Weber), Kino Świat, Mazowia Warsaw Film Fund, Di Factory, Bayerischer Rundfunk |
| Running Time: | 115’ |
| Language: | Polish, Russian |
| Country: | Poland, Germany |
| Main Cast: | Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza, Weronika Rosati, Katarzyna Figura, Andrzej Chyra |
| Screenplay: | Michał Englert, Małgorzata Szumowska |
| Cinematographer: | Michał Englert |
| Editor: | Jaroslaw Kaminski, Agata Cierniak |
| Production Designer: | Jagna Janicka |
| Costume Designer: | Katarzyna Lewińska |
| Sound: | Marcin Kasiński, Kacper Habisiak, Marcin Jachyra |
Cinema
Śniegu już nigdy nie będzie (Never Gonna Snow Again)
Venezia 77 Competition
SYNOPSIS
A masseur from the East enters the lives of the rich residents of a bland, walled off community. Despite their wealth, the residents emit an inner sadness, a longing. The mysterious newcomer’s hands heal, his eyes seem to penetrate their souls. To them, his Russian accent sounds like a song from the past, a memory of their seemingly safer childhood. Zhenia, for this is his name, changes their lives.
DIRECTORS' STATEMENT
The word “snow” can have a variety of meanings and evoke many different emotions. It can be a fierce, all-consuming and dangerous element; but also a source of safety and comfort, a blanket which takes us back to the fairytales of our childhood. Nowadays, however, we mostly associate it with the human-led destruction of the Earth’s climate, and consequently the slow disappearance of snow from our lives. The protagonists of Śniegu już nigdy nie będzie focus mainly on their own small and comfortable world, which they take for granted. Yet, underneath the surface gloss, they seek out something more spiritual, an almost existential longing for something unspoken. Our characters are hungry for touch, intimacy, sex, understanding, freedom. They are wealthy in financial terms, and yet spiritually void, overwhelmed with unconscious yearning. They project their fantasies on to a stranger who appears suddenly in their lives and acts as a mirror in which they can see themselves all too clearly. He offers them respite. It is hard to say whether this experience is authentic or just an illusion. Is the magical forest where they find themselves with the stranger merely a figment of their imagination, their fears and desires, or does it really exist? A certain mystery is at the core of our film. We would like to encourage the audience to reflect on the state of Europe today. We aim to ask a few questions, subtly, with humor but with no preconceived bias on our side.
PRODUCERS/DISTRIBUTORS
PRODUCTION 1: Agnieszka Wasiak, Mariusz Włodarski, Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert - Lava Films
Mahatmy Gandhiego 7/30
91-012 – Lodz, Poland
Tel. +48 782 668 551
LAVA@LAVAFILMS.PL
PRODUCTION 2: Viola Fügen, Michael Weber - Match Factory Productions
Domstrasse 60
50668 - Cologne, Germany
Tel. +49 22154397090
productions@matchfactory.de
OTHERS COPRODUCTIONS: KINO ŚWIAT; MAZOVIA WARSAW FILM FUND; DI FACTORY, in coproduction with BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK, in cooperation with ARTE
WORLD SALES: Michael Weber – The Match Factory
Domstrasse 60
50668 - Cologne, Germany
Tel. +49 22154397090
info@matchfactory.de
PRESS OFFICE: Charles McDonald - International Rescue
Mob.+44 7785246377
charles@charlesmcdonald.co.uk
