Kalejdoskop Film

Does doctor Jan Terelak belong to an “elitist” group of the most unethical experimenters? The Polish scientist tested boundaries of human mental resilience in extreme conditions of solitude in Antarctica. The starting point for Piotr Jaworski's documentary is the psychologist's journal. The project from forty years ago was focused on studying the mental condition of polar explorers at the Polish station. Men were in the situation of confinement, comparable to a space mission. The film reconstructs these events, referring to the then contemporary context and changes in the perception of science.

A century of Polish animation unfolds pre-war avant-garde experiments to today’s independent scene. It foregrounds a generation of committed artists who, working amid shifting social and cultural conditions, forged a singular visual language — blending cut-outs, puppets, and experimental techniques with surrealism, philosophy, and dark humour. Drawing on pioneers such as Jan Lenica and Walerian Borowczyk, the film explores how animation became a space for artistic exploration, subtle commentary, and formal innovation. A chronicle of artistic triumphs and an intimate portrait of a medium that constantly redefined the boundaries of imagination.

The Jesuit Order novitiate is a severe form of a trial. During two years of isolation from society and the comforts of civilisation, young men have enough time to ponder the question: Is the religious life for me?