"The Last Family" in Cinemas in Sweden
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family), a film by Jan P. Matuszyński was released theatrically in Sweden on April 12.
Premiere in Cinemas in Sweden
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family), a film by Jan P. Matuszyński was released theatrically in Sweden on April 12. Distribution is handled by Folkest Bio. The film’s title is Den Sista Familjen.
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family) was released theatrically in Poland on September 30, 2016. The Polish release brought over 500,000 admissions. Distribution in Poland is handled by Kino Świat.
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family)
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family). Photo by Hubert Komerski
Jan P. Matuszyński’s Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family) tells the story of the Beksiński family, beginning in 1977 when Tomek Beksiński moves out of the family home into his own flat. His parents live next door, in the same area, which is why they remain close. Tomek’s oversensitive personality results in his mother Zofia constantly worrying about him. At the same time his father Zdzisław Beksiński tries to dedicate himself to his art. After Tomek’s first suicide attempt, Zdzisław and Zofia must fight not only for their son, but also to regain control over their lives. When Zdzisław signs a contract with Piotr Dmochowski, an arts dealer based in France, and Tomek starts a job at the Polish Radio, it seems that the worst is behind them. But the series of strange and fateful events is just beginning.
„The Last Family”. Interview with the creators. Transcription (.rtf file)
Feature debut supported by the Polish Film Institute
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family) was written by Robert Bolesto and lensed by Kacper Fertacz. The film stars Andrzej Seweryn as Zdzisław Beksiński), Dawid Ogrodnik as Tomasz Beksiński, and Aleksandra Konieczna as Zofia Beksińska. Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family) was produced by Aurum Film, co-produced by HBO Polska, Lightcraft and the Mazovia Film Fund, and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.
The World Premiere, Awards and Great Reviews in Locarno
The film had its world premiere at the 69th Locarno International Film Festival and screened in Main Competition. Andrzej Seweryn received the Best Actor Award for his performance as Zdzisław Beksiński. The film enjoyed positive reviews by international film critics.
“The film is a remarkable, frequently unsettling exercise in staged voyeurism, recreating the interdependent lives of the three members of the troubled Beksiński family. […] The Last Family is likely to pick up numerous awards on the festival circuit” writes Jay Weissberg in a review for Variety.
“A masterly performance by stage actress Aleksandra Konieczna,” writes Dan Fainaru of Screen Daily.
“The Last Family is expertly directed, with fantastic performances by actors who paid tribute to their characters on-screen,” writes Michael Sennhauser on his blog sennhausersfilmblog.ch.
Awards in Poland and Abroad
The film’s Polish premiere took place at the 41st Gdynia Film Festival in Main Competition. The film won the festival and received awards: Golden Lions Grand Prize for Best Film, Award for Best Actor (Andrzej Seweryn), Award for Best Actress (Aleksandra Konieczna) and also Audience Award, Journalists Award.
The film received four 2017 Eagles – Polish Film Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor and Discovery of the Year.
Ostatnia Rodzina (The Last Family) received awards also at the 32nd Warsaw Film Festival, 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, 46th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival, 26th Filmfestival Cottbus, 40th Denver International Film Festival, 10th Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival, 24th Camerimage International Film Festival and 22nd Vilnius Film Festival.
Paulina Bez