The film „1970” with an award at the Visions du Réel festival

Tomasz Wolski’s new film, entitled „1970”, received a special jury award at the Visions du Réel International Documentary Film Festival in Nyon. It is a documentary animation about protests in communist Poland from the perpetrators’ point of view. The film will have its Polish premiere at the 61st Krakow Film Festival.

The International Documentary Film Festival Visions du Réel has been held in Nyon in Switzerland since 1969. At the beginning of its existence, mainly Swiss films and productions from the Eastern Bloc countries were shown, which were very difficult to watch for Western European audience. Currently, it is one of the largest documentary film festivals in Europe.

Every year, the festival attracts directors, producers and professionals from all over the world. The event also offers a wide range of industry events, including co-production market, pitching sessions (Pitching du Réel), seminars and discussion panels (Rough Cut Lab) and a series of meetings devoted to the distribution and sale of film projects (Docs in Progress). This year festival was held in the stationary formula, in compliance with the sanitary regime.

The plot of the film

In 1970, protests broke out in communist Poland on the coast. Striking workers in certain cities demonstrate against price increases. More and more protesters appear in the streets. The situation becomes tense. Meanwhile, a crisis team is gathering in the capital.

Thanks to animations combined with archival recordings of telephone calls, we peek behind the closed doors of dignitaries’ offices and observe the mechanisms of power. Hundreds of cigarettes are smoked. Phones break off. Strategies to break up protesters and future repression are planned. Propaganda activities are being devised. The protests, however, are getting out of control by the rulers. We see the fear, confusion and brutality of decision makers. Militia batons appear in the streets. Shots are fired. People are dying.