JULIA KOWALSKI'S "CRACHE-COEUR" IN ACID SECTION AT CANNES

Crache-Coeur, a Polish-French co-production directed by Julia Kowalski and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, will have its world premiere in the ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) section of the 68th Cannes International Film Festival.

Crache-Coeur in Cannes

Nine films from around the world have been selected for screening in this year’s ACID section. Among these films is Crache-Coeur (previously known under its French working title of “Desempares” and Polish working title of “Zagubieni”), the feature debut from director Julia Kowalski, made as a co-production between Poland and France and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The Cannes screening will mark the film’s world premiere.

Films screening in the ACID section are selected by members of ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion), an association aimed at promoting independent cinema. Further details are available at the organization’s official website: www.lacid.org.

A Story of Searching for One’s Family and Place in the World

Crache-Coeur is a film about searching for one’s family and place in the world, about coming of age and about the strong, often ambiguous and bittersweet emotions that accompany this transition. Julia Kowalski’s picture tells the story of Józef, a Polish worker who comes to France in search of his son Roman, whom he abandoned 15 years earlier. Recognizing Roman as the most popular boy at her school, Rose offers to help Józef in his search, using the information he provides for her own purposes. However, Roman doesn’t realize Józef might in fact be his father until after the latter has returned to Poland. The boy decides to find his father, while Rose — head over heels in love with Roman — follows him to Poland.

Debut Film Supported by the Polish Film Institute

Crache-Coeur was produced by Maria Blicharska and Monika Sajko-Gradowska of Donten & Lacroix Films, and by Mina Driouche, Valerie Donzeli and Jeremie Elkaim of Les Films de Francoise. The project had been developed thanks to support of the CNC and the MEDIA programme. The film features performances by Andrzej Chyra and Artur Steranko. Crache-Coeur was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute and shot on location in France and Poland.

Project Awarded in Screenwriting Competitions

In 2013, the project was presented at Polish Days, the pitching session at the T-Mobile New Horizons festival in Wrocław. Later that year, the script was awarded the Sopadin Grand Prix. In 2014, Crache-Coeur (known at the time as “Zagubieni”) was recognized and awarded in the 2014 Script Pro screenwriting competition, organized by the Wajda School and the OFF Plus Camera Festival.

Based on the press release

Translated by Karolina Kołtun