Starring: Roma Gąsiorowska, Adam Woronowicz, Kamil Malecki
Directed by: Dawid Leszek
Rating: ★★★★☆
Polish producers have continued to rely on a pool of young actors often nurtured in the country’s theatre schools. Given the current plethora of talent this source has provided, the movie industry has not been in need – and it has provided Polish cinema with its leading heroine. Roma Gąsiorowska came up through the ranks by working on some of the best movies of the past decade, including Xawery Żuławski’s Wojna Polsko-Ruska (Snow White and Russian Red, 2009) and Paweł Borowski’s Zero (2010).
Although Roma once expressed her admiration for the work of the Polish-born British cineaste Paweł Pawlikowski, there is no immediate suggestion that she is set to take her chances abroad. This will depend on the quality of roles she is offered at home. Documentary filmmaker Dawid Leszek has set a good example in his first feature film by tailoring a movie entirely around her.
Kinga ‘Ki’ is an anti-heroic, young ‘mother courage’ who is struggling to put together the pieces of puzzle that she can never quite put out of her mind. The Dardennesque camera of Leszek dynamically follows Ki’s existential path, which can be seen as: “a verification of human relationships in the contemporary world,” according to the director. Ki (My Name is Ki) left Venice Days with very positive reviews. This is how Polish cinema can boost its reputation abroad without endlessly playing the Skolimowski and Wajda cards.
Originally published by The Krakow Post on November 12, 2011