Camera Buff (1979)
Camera Buff
”An amateur filmmaker's hobby causes problems in his personal life.”
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Why watch this film?
The Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski began his career in filmmaking with documentaries and this documentary trait is very present in his first feature films. 'Amator' was one of his first fiction films and the narrative resembles the format of documentaries, throughout his career it is noticeable how this will change. The film tells the story of a man who buys a camera to film the first steps of his newborn daughter and ends up falling in love with something that started as a hobby. The protagonist is fascinated by the idea of making films with everyday facts and this ends up bringing consequences to his personal life. Krzysztof Kieslowski shows how films can change a person's life by showing how an ordinary man ends up becoming a filmmaker in 'Amator'. If you are a movie lover, you need to watch this great work of the Polish director.
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Plot summary
A worker buys an 8 mm camera to film his young daughter and has his life transformed. He then decides to dedicate himself to cinema and show the world as it is, which ends up causing problems.
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From the same director
No End
"Bez konca" is set in 1982, a period when Poland faced economic difficulties and opposition groups with the declaration of Martial Law - any citizen caught engaging in conspiracy against the state would be arrested and charged with treason to the nation. As a result, opposition movements such as Solidarność - in Portuguese, Solidarity - were banned and their leaders arrested. This context is necessary for the viewer to understand the criticism that director Krzysztof Kieslowski made with his work. In the movie, a lawyer is murdered and his ghost follows the story and his character can be interpreted as a symbol of the Solidarity movement. Through the mourning of his wife, we follow her transformations to deal with the loss and also how the country went through repression during the Martial Law period, where the hope seen in the opposition movements was in some way also murdered. "Bez konca" was Kieslowski's first film with screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, together they made a long-term partnership.
The Double Life of Véronique
Irène Jacob, from 'La Fraternité est Rouge', brings to life two characters in 'La double vie de Véronique' that are identical both in appearance and in the way they lead their lives. The film is very poetic and has a vague plot, which makes it difficult to understand its complexity. The director himself, Krzysztof Kieslowski, described that the work was difficult to adapt to the cinema because it speaks of sensitivity, premonitions and relationships that are hard to name. The production is full of metalinguistic elements and each scene works as an experience, both for those who filmed it and for those who watch it. In 'La double vie de Véronique' we see that the filmmaker explores the female characters well, as we also see in 'Trilogie des Couleurs', which was released years later. It is also the first film in which Krzysztof Kieslowski deals with duality, synchronicity and immerses himself in it full of daydreams.
The Scar
'Scar', also known by its original title 'Blizna', was the second feature film of Krzysztof Kieslowski and the first one to be released in cinemas. Before that, the filmmaker had made 'Personel', a production for television. Kieslowski started his career with documentaries, so his first fictional works carry strong documentary and political influences. In 'Scar', the Pole makes a strong criticism of the government of Poland in the 1970s, which suffered from the turbulent period of the communist regime of Władysław Gomułka. As can be seen in his subsequent productions, this film also traces the political context of the country in contrast to the life of the main character. Throughout his work, Krzysztof Kieslowski knew how to dose the criticisms he weaves with the climate of the films, in the case of 'Scar', the filmmaker brings a dense atmosphere and good photography, which works as a perfect fit to portray political debates. The only negative point of this feature is the ending, which ends up being too positive for the whole narrative built. The protagonist only accepts his destiny, which used to bother him and surrenders to all state bureaucracy. Was Krzysztof Kieslowski's idea just to show that often we accept things without fighting for our ideals?
Three Colors: Red
'Trois couleurs: Rouge' is a film by one of the most important filmmakers from Poland and with one of the most iconic works of independent cinema, Krzysztof Kieślowski left his mark on the seventh art. And one of the most daring and recognized projects of the director was with the trilogy of colors - formed by the films 'The Freedom is Blue', 'The Equality is White' and 'The Fraternity is Red'. In the case of this last movie, from 1994, we know two absolutely captivating characters. One of them is a woman (Irène Jacob) who runs over a dog and, desperate, goes after the owner. That's where the story of a retired judge who lives spying on the telephone conversations of his neighbors comes in. From there, Kieślowski shows the friendship between these two figures arising, transforming and gaining strength in an absolutely strong and real scenario. It is a film about fraternal love, which puts us in the look and skin of the other. Filming.
Three Colors: White
'Three Colors: White' is a movie by one of the most important filmmakers from Poland and with one of the most memorable works of independent cinema, Krzysztof Kieślowski left his mark on the seventh art. And one of the most daring and recognized projects of the director was with the trilogy of colors - formed by the films 'Liberty is Blue', 'Equality is White' and 'Fraternity is Red'. In the case of the second film, from 1994, we have a different tone from the rest of the trilogy. After all, this is the only one that Kieślowski treated with a humorous look. This ended up generating controversy. Some love the longa, others hate it. But the fact is that the premise is excellent to tell the story of an immigrant who sees his marriage come to an end from one hour to another. Thus, he ends up being deported back to Poland. From there, Kieślowski develops a funny, acidic and ironic plot about appearances and, mainly, about the lack of diversity. A great film that, despite being light and entertaining, speaks of injustice like few others.
A Short Film About Killing
This is the cinematic version of 'The Decalogue', a Polish television series that made Krzysztof Kieslowski famous worldwide, based on the Ten Commandments. Two episodes were adapted to be released in the feature film format, 'Thou Shalt Not Love' and 'Krótki film o zabijaniu' (Thou Shalt Not Kill), which won the international critics' and jury prizes at Cannes. Polish director Kieslowski raised interesting questions with his work, discussing legal issues in Poland, also analyzed from a psychological and religious point of view. Speaking of the legal part, screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, who had a long partnership with Kieslowski, brought his old profession to discuss this issue. Piesiewicz is a lawyer and politician, he is a member of the Polish Senate, so the justice-related part of the movie is very well explored. 'Krótki film o zabijaniu' (Thou Shalt Not Kill) reminds a documentary, by the way it was filmed, and also by the construction of the story, leaving the viewer free to draw their own conclusions amidst the events. The green filter used in the camera gives a gloomy appearance - which gets even more intense as the story progresses. Another interesting point to observe is the discussion about the death penalty, Krzysztof Kieslowski makes it very clear that he is not in favor of it and the film manages to give a jab to those who defend this issue. In fact, 'Krótki film o zabijaniu' (Thou Shalt Not Kill) was released in 1988 and the following year, the death penalty was prohibited in Poland, for all crimes.
A Short Film About Love
Krzysztof Kieslowski's another film inspired by the Ten Commandments, just like he did with 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' released in 1988. 'Krótki film o milosci' was shown at the São Paulo International Film Festival in 1989 and awarded as the best film by the audience's choice. The feature is also part of 'The Decalogue', a Polish television series that earned Kieslowski international recognition. 'Krótki film o milosci' tells the story of a young man who was in love with his older neighbor and the director made a great comparison of the protagonist's voyeurism to the cinematic experience. The production discusses the boundary between love and obsession, with a political background that usually appears in Krzysztof Kieslowski's early works - despite this, he is not considered a political filmmaker.
Blind Chance
"Przypadek" can be recognized as a classic by Krzysztof Kieslowski, it is the third fiction feature of the Polish filmmaker and discusses the political situation in Poland in the 1980s and how chance can define people's lives. The film was completed in 1981 but could only be released in 1987 due to its criticism of the communist regime. "Przypadek" explores how Poland was affected by communism, which had no public support and which would undoubtedly make it last a short time - which indeed happened. In the movie, Krzysztof Kieslowski questions the possible paths that the country could take, between continuing with the communist regime or adopting another political course. We can interpret that it is not really the Polish politics that Kieslowski wants to analyze, but the ability of the human being to react to dissatisfaction - whether of political content or not. In contrast, the life of the protagonist of "Przypadek" also diverges because he does not know how his choices can change his destiny. It is interesting this comparison that the director makes: with the future of Poland and the main character of the feature. The message that the production leaves is that what we fight for, and believe in, is not always as important as the struggle itself.
Three Colors: Blue
"Three Colors: Blue" is a film from one of the most important filmmakers from Poland and with one of the most remarkable works of independent cinema, Krzysztof Kieślowski left his mark on the seventh art. And one of the boldest and most recognized projects of the director was with the trilogy of colors - formed by the films "Three Colors: Blue", "Three Colors: Red" and "Three Colors: White". In the case of the first film, from 1993, we follow a woman (Juliette Binoche, completely magnetic on the screen) who tires of living after the death of her entire family in an accident. With Kieślowski's poetic and realistic direction, the viewer is taken to dive into this story that portrays freedom in a way we never thought of: as something cold, sad, distant. Of those stories that, when the credits go up, we rethink life. And is there something better in cinema than that kind of reaction?
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