Polish co-productions with a chance for European Discovery 2021

The films „Lamb” by Valdimar Jóhansson and „Kitoboy” by Philipp Yuryev are among the six nominated titles for the European Discovery 2021 -FIPRESCI. The award for the debut will go to the director of the winning film during the European Film Awards gala on December 11. Both productions were co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

Icelandic-Swedish-Polish „Lamb” is the fictional debut of director Valdimar Jóhansson, who received the award for originality at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Un Certain Regard section. It was produced by Hrönn Kristinsdóttir and Sara Nassim from Go to Sheep, Piodor Gustafsson and Erik Rydell from Black Spark Production and Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska and Jan Naszewski from Madants / NEM Corp., in co-production with Film and Väst, Chimney Sweden and Chimney Poland and in cooperation with Rabbit Hole Productions and Helgi Jóhannsson. Agnieszka Glińska was responsible for editing the film.

An Icelandic couple, María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason), live with a herd of sheep on a beautiful, remote farm. When they find an unusual newborn on it, they decide to keep him and raise him as their own child. The unexpected prospect of enlarging their family brings them much happiness, but ultimately leads to a tragedy.

The Russian-Polish-Belgian „Kitoboy” turned out to be the best film in the Giornate degli Autori section in Venice and received awards for directing and the best male role at Kinotawra in Sochi, as well as 3rd prize in the Feature Film Competition at the Russian Sputnik Film Festival. The picture is the full-length debut of Philipp Yuryev, who is also the author of the screenplay. Mikhail Khursevich and Yakov Mironichev are responsible for the photos, Krzysztof A. Janczak for music, for editing – Karolina Macziewska, Alekxandr Krylov and Philipp Yuryev. The producers of the film are Aleksey Uchitel, Kira Saksaganskaya and Pavel Gorin (Man’s Films Productions, Studio Orka, Rok Films).

This drama is a story about the clash of two very distant, although geographically quite close worlds: the United States and the indigenous Chukchi living on the Chukchi Peninsula. When the Internet reaches the fishing village, teenage Liosha (Vladimir Onokhov) and his friend Kolian (Vladimir Liubimtsev) use it mainly to view erotic video chats. This is how they meet a beautiful blonde girl from Detroit, who hides under the tempting nickname HollySweet999. Her beauty, exotic for young Chukchi, evokes emotions in the boy that he cannot cope with. Over time, they turn into a real obsession. So strong that Liosha is able to leave his native village and his grandfather (Nikolai Tatato) standing over the grave to pursue the illusion.