Films

• Michelangelo Eye to Eye / Spojrzenie Michelangelo, 15'

  One of Antonioni's last works – “Michelangelo Eye to Eye” – is proof of the director's recognition of the immortality of art. A sculpture on the tomb of Julius II in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome – Moses by Michelangelo – becomes (the) object of the director's careful observation. Thanks to excellent light manipulation, the viewer gets the impression that the statue is also attentively observing Antonioni. In the face of art, one can see the mortality and imperfection of man. The picture had its premiere at the Film Festival in Cannes, where it received the prestigious FIPRESCI award for the best short film.

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• Seven reeds, one suit / Siedem nitek, jedno ubranie, 11'

  The narrator is spinning a tale about a miracle, describing the mysterious processes that the viewer is witnessing. Here, in majestic buildings – fabric factories – as a result of a chemical storm, dark machines make art silk out of bamboo cane. The scientists’ genius, the workers’ diligence, and the technological progress make incredible things happen – mud-covered bamboo turns into a beautiful dress. A “miracle” happened, but for what price? Caprice of the wealthy costs the labourers many hours of hard work in difficult conditions.

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• Blowup / Powiększenie
  Michelangelo Antonioni, GBR, ITA, USA 1966, 110'

  Cast: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles, Veruschka von Lehndorff, John Castle, Claude Chagrin, Julian Chagrin

  The picture was awarded with Palme d'Or in Cannes and went down in cinema history as one of the most important films of all time. The script was based on Julio Cortázar's “Las babas del Diablo” (in English titled “Blowup”). The protagonist, a fashion photographer, becomes witness to a certain situation during one of the photo-shoots in the park. Seeking the truth, he enlarges the photos he made and in the frames he notices the body of an elderly man. Antonioni depicts the helplessness of modern man chasing authenticity, and shows life as never-ending play-pretend. One of the scenes in “Blowup”, where a couple of mimes are hitting an invisible tennis ball, can be read as a metaphor of modern times. .

   

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• People of the Po Valley / Ludzie Padu, 9'
  Michelangelo Antonioni, ITA 1947, 9'

  A film documenting the life of the people living in villages by the Po river – home regions of the director. Life of the Italian countrymen runs slowly, they spend all their time working hard. They do not complain, they cope with their fate with dignity, they are the “salt of the Earth.”

   

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• Red desert / Czerwona pustynia, 120'

  ITA, FRA 1964, 120'

  Cast: Monica Vitti, Richard Harris, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi, Rita Renoir, Lili Rheims, Aldo Grotti, Valerio Bartoleschi, Emanuela Paola Carboni

  The first picture of Michelangelo Antonioni in colour is regarded a revolutionary masterpiece in the history of cinema. The starring role in this film is played by the director's muse – Monica Vitti. The mysterious inside world of Giuliana (Monica Vitti), her emotions and moods are reflected in desert landscapes. The picture is an insightful psychological analysis of the protagonist, who is anxiously searching for her own self and for her place in the world.

   

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• Identification of a Woman / Identyfikacja kobiety, 128'

  ITA, FRA 1982, 128’

  Cast: Tomas Milian, Daniela Silverio, Christine Boisson

  Nicolo (Tomas Milian), whose wife left him, decides to make a film about relationships between men and women. He begins the search for a woman to play the starring role, and that is how he meets Mavi (Daniela Silverio) – his sister's patient. Soon, Niccolo starts getting mysterious letters, and one day the woman disappears... The stereotypical love story is only a background for an insightful psychological analysis of female nature, which Antonioni took up in his films. After its premiere, the film was regarded to be very erotic, which aroused a lot of controversy among the audience.

   

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• Superstition / Przesąd, 9'

  ITA 1949, 9'

  Antonioni shows how superstitions and old wives' tales accompany Italian countrymen from their birth until their death. Blind faith in magical properties of objects, incantations, and irrational rituals organise their lives. The director pictures the absurdity of those beliefs in an instructional way: a woman is kneeling on a patch and eating parsley without using her hands, as it is supposed to help her in getting milk for her baby. The narrator talks about how to put a hex on somebody and how to protect yourself from one. Superstitions and rituals enrich the people's monotonous life and give hope for a better fate, e.g. bathing a newborn child in water with: a coin, a feather, a piece of wood, a piece of iron and a pair of scissors is supposed to bring the baby happiness in its adult life.

   

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• Sicilia / Sycylia, 10'

  ITA 1997, 10'

  Sicily seen by Antonioni is a series of beautiful landscapes. The documentary portrays everyday life of this land and its inhabitants. An ordinary picture manages to hypnotise and seduce the viewer. A short impression introduces us into a mysterious world that was very close to Antonioni. The director captures the moment, watches the surrounding reality closely and analyses it, unhurriedly creating a picture of this Mediterranean island.

   

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