"Body/Ciało" in Hungarian Cinemas

Body/Ciało (Body), a film directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, was released theatrically in Hungary on Februrary 25.

Hungarian Premiere

Body/Ciało (Body) had its theatrical release in Hungary on February 26, 2016. Distribution in Hungary is handled by Vertigo Média Kft. Hungarian title of the film is Test.

Małgorzata Szumowska’s latest feature was released theatrically in Poland on March 6. On August 6, the film was released in Colombia, on October 29 in Germany, on November 5 in Italy, on January 7 in Switzerland, on January 14 in Brazil and on Juanuary 21 in Denmark. 

A Story Told with Astute Irony

A cynical prosecutor and his anorectic daughter are both trying, each in their own way, to deal with the death of a loved one. One day, the girl’s therapist Anna announces that their deceased relative has contacted her from the beyond and has a message for them; this forces both father and daughter to reevaluate their views of life and death.

According to the director, this is a film about our attitudes towards the body, about solitude and loneliness in present-day Poland, told through an ironic, tongue-in-cheek story. Through her three main protagonists, Małgorzata Szumowska portrays the absurdities of life, its beauty and ugliness, as well as people who, for better or worse, search for their own spiritual path.

A Film Supported by the Polish Film Institute

The screenplay for Body/Ciało (Body) was written by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, who also lensed the film. The film stars Janusz Gajos, Justyna Suwała and Maja Ostaszewska, with supporting performances by Tomasz Ziętek, Ewa Dałkowska, Adam Woronowicz, and Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik. Body/Ciało (Body) was produced by Nowhere and co-produced by Kino Świat, D35 and the Warsaw Mazovia Film Fund. World sales are handled by Memento Films International. Body/Ciało (Body) was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

World Premiere and Silver Bear at Berlinale

Małgorzata Szumowska’s Body/Ciało (Body) had its world premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, where the film screened in Main Competition. Małgorzata Szumowska received the Silver Bear Award for Best Director, ex aequo with Romanian director Radu Jude for his film Aferim.
Body/Ciało (Body) has also received awards at the Let’s CEE Festival in Vienna, as well as in Brussels, Dortmund, Peru, Vilnius, and Malta.

Body/Ciało (Body) was also in official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

Jacek Drosio received the European Editor 2015 award of the European Film Academy for his work on Body/Ciało (Body) and Małgorzata Szumowska has been nominated for the European Film Award in the prestigious Best European Director category.

Reviews in Foreign Press

Body/Ciało (Body) has received excellent reviews from Variety, Screen Daily, and The Hollywood Reporter, who predicted that the film would do well in the festival circuit. “Daring, unpredictable, moving, intense,” tweeted Karel Och, artistic director of the Karlovy Vary IFF, after the first screening of the film. Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote that the film is “a darkly comic rumination on what it means to be alive, how humans deal with loss, and the question of what comes after.”

Other reviews of Body/Ciało (Body) in international press are available here.

Paulina Bez

25.02.2016