Ciné-Club

Thursday 23 January 2014 at 20:00
CERN Council Chamber

Blind Chance (Przypadek)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski (Poland, 1981) 122 minutes
 

This film shows how insignificant chaotic events and choices can influence a life by setting one starting point and three very different outcomes. The main character, Witek, student in the medical school, loses his calling after the death of his father. Witek is on his way to catch a train to Warsaw, there he crashes into a fellow drinking beer. In the first scenario he manages to take his train and meets Werner, an old Communist, after which Witek decides to join the Communist Party. In the second scenario, Witek rushing after his train runs into a guard. He is arrested and sentenced to community service. Witek joins the anti-Communist resistance and meets up with Daniel, a friend from his childhood, and his sister Wera. He is baptised and the figure of Christ on the cross becomes a significant emblem for him. In the third scenario, Witek misses the train but meets Olga with whom they make passionate love.  Witek decides to resume his medical studies and soon he graduates and starts practicing at the hospital as well as teaching at the medical school. Originally filmed in 1981, Blind Chance was suppressed by the Polish authorities for several years until its delayed release in Poland on 10 January 1987. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. 

Thursday 30 January 2014 at 20:00
CERN Council Chamber

Angelus

Directed by Lech Majewski (Poland, 2001) 106 minutes

This atypical comedy is a free adaptation of the history of a group of theologists and painters, the Janowski group, obsessed with occultism and the fight between Good and Evil.  The Master teaches his fellows that after three signs (the Great War, the Red Epidemy and the Huge Mushroom), the Earth will be hit by a dangerous laser coming from Saturn. The place of impact has been found to be the local communist office and only an innocent young boy can save the earth by sacrificing himself to stop the laser on the rooftop of the office.  This story of pursuit for illumination by a small community of scientists-philosophers-anarchists in the communist era, reminding the unique atmosphere of Peter Greenaway, has been directed by the visionary film maker of “Bruegel, The Mill and the Cross”. The film is set south of Poland, in the Upper Silesian region, with most of its dialogues spoken in Silesian language (śląski), closely related to Polish and Czech.

Original version Polish; English subtitles

par Cine-Club