Starring: Marek Kaczanowski, Nikodem Kaczanowski, Magdalena Kaczanowska, Ola Kaczanowska
Directed by: Anna Zamecka
Rating: ★★★★☆
2016 was certainly a memorable year for Polish cinema in Locarno, at least for two reasons. First, Andrzej Seweryn netted the Best Actor prize for his role in The Last Family, a biopic devoted centered on the domestic life of Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński. Second, Anna Zamecka’s full-length documentary film Communion was awarded the first prize in the Critics’ Week section of the competition.
Unlike many rookies, Zamecka was lucky enough not to have to work in short filmmaking in order to come through the ranks. Her very first film portrays the story of Ola a bold 14-year-old girl who struggles for a improbable “get back together” of her family. Still, the task of re-assembling the puzzle is quite beyond her. The pieces to put back together are a not so self-sufficient father, an autistic brother preparing to his first Holy Communion and a mother that moved out of their tiny flat to start a new life with another man. Communion is above all Ola’s personal tale of growth from disillusion in the Kaczanowski family but also an attempt to sweep away any preconceived idea that maternal instinct and love are unconditional: “To believe that women always are always willing to accept their natural mother role is just a re-assuring thought”, explained the Polish filmmaker.
“Kitchen sink-esque” only by chance, and more Loach than the Dardenne brothers, Zamecka’s debut documentary film is also capable of raising spontaneous smiles from an audience with no artificial additives needed.
Review published by Kino Mania on June 15, 2021