Starring: Maciej Słota, Tadeusz Hankiewicz, Jacek Milczanowski, Beata Schimscheiner
Directed by: Eliza Kowalewska, Grzegorz Madej
Rating: ★★★☆☆
For only a few hundred euro, the directorial duo of Eliza Kowalewska and Grzegorz Madej (aka Earl Grey) managed to put together a team of professional actors, some black and white film stock, and a couple of nice interior locations in Krakow to tell the singular, but true, story of Heniek.
A tale of the clash between loyalty and greed in the murky world of car dealerships, Heniek reconstructs police interrogations of the eponymous anti-hero’s colleagues. But who is Heniek – an elusive criminal active since the Communist era, or an incompetent car dealer defamed by his partners? Eventually, it is the trio ‘helping police with their inquiries,’ Maciek (Maciej Słota), Beata (Beata Schimscheiner) and Jacek (Jacek Milczanowski), who are caught out in their self-deception.
Earl Grey relied on the talents of a troupe of experienced theatrical actors including Tadeusz Hankiewicz, the head of Krakow-based group Teatr Tradycyjny, in the role of Heniek. In return for ten days of work, the directors offered only a share in any profits from the movie’s distribution receipts. Earl Grey have produced a tiny masterpiece in Heniek, that could show the way ahead for European producers interested in low-budget filmmaking.
Originally published by The Krakow Post on August 03, 2012