TVP Documentaries in Chicago

Two documentary films commissioned by TVP1 received recognition at the 46th edition of the Hugo International Television Competition. Certificates of Merit of the 2010 Hugo Television Awards went to Amerykanin w PRL (An American in Communist Poland) by Piotr Morawski and Ryszard Kaczyński in the History/Biography category, and to Cyrk ze złamanym sercem (A Heart-Broken Circus) by Marek Tomasz Pawłowski in the Arts/Humanities category. The awards ceremony was held on April 15.

An American in Communist Poland is a compilation of archive footage presenting Robert Kennedy’s visit to Warsaw in 1964, a few months after the death of his brother John F. Kennedy. Surrounded by crowds of enthusiastic Warsaw residents welcoming him to the city, and by hundreds of secret service agents, Robert Kennedy served as an icon that symbolized the legendary West to the Polish people. His behaviour and attitude are in direct contrast with the realities of life in a communist state, often to the dismay of both sides.

A Heart-Broken Circus is a synthetic portrait of the situation of the circus in Poland after the 1989 transition. The film shows an average, yet drama-filled, day in the life of a small circus known as “Bojaro”, following its stay in a small town from the moment of arrival to the final performance. It is the story of a fight for survival; a recording of the drama of these people that can be seen in their strenuous overcoming of obstacles, regret, dejection, and complete indifference of the world that has long been in pursuit of other forms of entertainment, like television, video games, and the Internet.

For further details about the competition please visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com

Press release

Translated by Karolina Kołtun