"The Word" at 2014 Berlinale

The Word, Fot. Phillip Skraba, Kino Świat

Obietnica (The Word), a film directed by Anna Kazejak and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, will screen in the Generation section of the upcoming 64th Berlin International Film Festival.

The Latest Film by Anna Kazejak

Obietnica (The Word) is a psychological drama about the teenage love of Lila and Janek. The film is set in Szczecin. The lead roles are played by first-time actors Eliza Rycembel (Lila) and Mateusz Więcławek (Janek). Obietnica (The Word) also features performances by Sara Sobania, Nikodem Rozbicki, Magdalena Popławska, Andrzej Chyra, Dawid Ogrodnik, Bartłomiej Topa, and Jowita Budnik.

A Film Co-Financed by the Polish Film Institute

The screenplay, which qualified for the finale of the 2013 Script Pro Screenwriting Competition, was written by Anna Kazejak and Magnus von Horn. The project was presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market in 2012. The film was produced by Opus Film and lensed by Klaudiusz Dwulit. Obietnica (The Word) was made as a Polish-Danish co-production and co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. The film also received Eurimages funding.

Anna Kazejak, graduate of the Directing Department of the National Film School in Łódź, is a leader of one of the 2014 expert committees of the Polish Film Institute. In 2005, she made her feature debut Oda do radości (Ode to Joy) together with Jan Komasa and Maciej Migas. She has also directed the feature documentary Bocznica (Side-Track; 2009) and her solo feature debut Skrzydlate świnie (Flying Pigs; 2010). Anna Kazejak is a member of the European Film Academy and the Polish Directors’ Guild.

Crystal Bear Award for Bejbi Blues (Baby Blues)

As a side note, it is worth mentioning that the youth jury presented the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation 14plus section at last year’s edition of the Berlin festival to another Polish film: Bejbi Blues (Baby Blues) by Katarzyna Rosłaniec. The film also received special mention from the professional international jury of the Generation 14plus competition.

Further details are available at: www.berlinale.de.

Marta Sikorska

Translated by Karolina Kołtun