Polish document appreciated in New Zealand

The film „Long Day Tomorrow” by Paweł Wysoczański received a special jury award at the Doc Edge International Documentary Film Festival in New Zealand. He was awarded for „beautiful composition and exceptional personal commitment”. The film was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

„Paweł Wysoczański’s film deserves a special mention. Talking about Dr. Helena Pyz and her 30 years of work at the leprosy treatment center and their children, the film is distinguished by a beautiful composition and exceptional personal commitment. Wysoczański gives an example of the art of documentary cinema, a clear narrative and a humanitarian message,” it was written in the justification of the award in the category for international directors.

The heroine of the film is Helena, who should retire long time ago, but she can’t. She is a Polish woman who came to India thirty years ago and stayed for the rest of her life. She works at the Jeevodaya center for lepers and their children. She is a doctor, and she looks after, among others, small pupils, whom she not only heals but also raises. There is a reason why everyone at the center calls her  “mom”. Only one person is not able to treat her like that – a new director who does a lot to get rid of women because she has too much power. Although he is a Catholic priest, he is not able to appreciate the merciful commitment of a woman, contemptuously calling her Mother Teresa.

Wysoczański’s film touches on the secrets of various beliefs and searches for the essence of good in them. “Long Day Tomorrow” features a song by Bob Dylan to complete this unique story.