Studio Orka

In Soviet Estonia, one woman's tragedy intersects with a doctor's inner struggle: to obey the orders of an authoritarian system or risk losing everything in the name of truth.

A little known episode from the life of Stalinist security police office Julia Brystiger. Her nickname Bloody Luna was a reference to her incredibly brutal methods of interrogation. In the early 1960s, she appears in a centre for the blind on the outskirts of Warsaw, a place often visited by Cardinal Wyszyński, whose imprisonment in 1953-1956 Brystiger supervised personally. During a difficult and heated discussion with the cardinal, Brystiger denounces the communist ideology and begs for forgiveness for her crimes and for guidance in her search for God.

Marek, a young writer, is trying to solve the mystery of the night his friend Arthur died. In the recesses of his memory, Marek finds fragments of past events: a party at the home of an eccentric publisher, his argument with Arthur, the exchange of blows, blood. Afraid that he has killed his friend, Marek suppresses his feelings of fear and guilt in his passionate meetings with a woman who has more to do with Arthur’s disappearance than it seems...

Contemporary Poland. A couple of 30-somethings, Ewa and Pawel, are spending their long-planned dream vacation on a yacht. Attractive Ewa is bored with her life, in which there is no room for anything but work, and longs for true love. Pragmatic Paul is completely consumed by the occupation through which he achieved financial success. The trip was supposed to improve relations between spouses, to revive extinguished feelings. Unfortunately, the man has to interrupt his vacation to finalize a lucrative contract. A newly met elderly man will be the one to help the spouses get closer.

On 3 April 2004, during the holiday of Ashura, Iraqi rebels loyal to Shiite leader Muktada As-Sadr, launched an insurgency in the Polish zone. The Poles, together with Bulgarian soldiers and Iraqi police, were given the task of defending City Hall, led by Lieutenant colonel Grzegorz Kaliciak. The clash developed into the biggest Polish engagement since World War II. Not a single allied soldier died, although about 80 insurgents were killed in a counter-attack.

Matúš is a talented musician, who left his successfully developing career, when his adoptive mother fell ill. After her death, he’s living with his stepbrother Dávid and together they go through life, each in their own way. While Dávid takes what life gives him, Matúš feels frustrated by his failed ambitions. On his way to their fulfillment, he meets his old schoolmate Albert, who opens doors to the „better“ world for him.

Based on a script by Andrzej Żuławski, this is a fascinating on-screen dialogue between father and son that combines nostalgia and fury, the sublime with humor, and old-school style with a sharp, penetrating look at Polish reality. The eponymous bird talk is the language used by those excluded from the aggressive majority: a history teacher tormented by children, a teacher of Polish studies fired from his job, a girl who cleans a banker’s villa, a florist with a club foot and a student with a fascination for cinema. Pushed to the margins by the extreme right, they defend themselves with irony, songs and quotes from the classics.

Four woman, each with their own theory about love. Iga is married and lives in a happy relationship but deeply fantasies about extreme experiences. In her search she uncovers various shades of loves, like the modern femme fatale (Joanna) and a woman (Agata) who is being cheated on. An attractive 30 year old (Roma) is searching for a man who will turn her life upside and desperate for this life changing moment. Set in modern Warsaw, where one night can change anybodies life.

Romek is a Polish railway worker and Guido is a German soldier. They are both 17, in love with jazz and the same pretty girl. But it's 1943 somewhere in German-occupied Poland, and their lives are bound to change soon.

United Europe, the Baltic Sea coast. It is the Day of Thanksgiving, the most important national holiday since the denazification of the late 1960s, carried out almost two decades after the end of World War II. A war won by the Nazis. Europeans denounced the crimes of Nazism and took on themselves the blames of the victors.

Emilka meets the slightly-older Maciek out at a club one night. He shows Emilka—who was brought up by a single mom—a whole new world filled with desire, passion, restlessness and rebellion. The girl moves in with him and at first everything seems just perfect, but gradually Emilka discovers her separate identity, and starts to grow apart from him. When her dream of becoming a singer comes true, Maciek feels threatened. A toxic love game begins, full of lust and jealousy.

Sinaloa hitchhikes into Texas to meet Merle, her half-sister by way of their dead country musician father. As the two get to know each other, Sinaloa's chaotic influence starts to unravel Merle's quiet, comfortable life. While the family music legacy brought Sinaloa to Austin, she won't leave without taking revenge against the people who stole her daddy away years ago.

Julia travels to her new friend Anna's archipelago summer cottage on a late summer weekend. When Anna's husband JP unexpectedly returns to the island, Julia recognises him as her date rapist from fifteen years ago. Both Julia and JP keep it a secret from Anna that they know each other. Anna begins to feel growing insecurity about her husband's relationship with her new friend. Over the course of the weekend, tensions between the trio deepen.

Karol, talented 25-year old, makes money in the family company and leads his own prospecting buisness. When his father, a flying instructor, crashes and dies, it's up to Karol to make a living for him and his mother. Along with two best friends he decides to build an airship. When big money comes into play, Karol quickly realizes, how much it costs to have your own company.

Egocentric stage actor Marcin has to face the unexpected breakdown of a long-term relationship. During three different performances, fantasy mixes with the prose of the life of a separating couple.

Landscape architect Emil is fighting an uneven battle with those indifferent to the beauty of nature. He is trying to be a good father, but his neurotic rigidity pushes him into a spiral of absurd events.

Close to bankruptcy, Irena, the owner of a struggling pig farm in a tiny post-Communist town, finds a surprising benefactor in a handsome American man who appears to be the answer to all her prayers.

Every night, a young eagle named Iggy dreams of flying alongside his imaginary brother, Felix. In reality, Iggy lives in a technically advanced society of birds so civilized, they all forgot how to fly. Iggy is being raised by his highly responsible Mom and a slightly rebellious, oldschool Dad. When Iggy meets his new aviation-crazy classmate Eve, he finally gets the courage to confront his dreams, discovers the true nature of Felix… and spreads his wings in the real world for the very first time.

A family lives in a remote Kazakh village. There are five sons. The oldest, Aslan, becomes the father’s deputy in charge of all the work and delegating tasks to his younger brothers. Fair and humane, he sympathises with his siblings when they err, and accepts the father’s blame for them. One day Aslan takes the children to the river, a moment of happiness as the river is deep enough for a real swim. Since then, life is different. The children become more diligent in their daily chores, while the river turns into the focus of their lives.

One woman's journey for self-discovery and turns into a harrowing tale of survival.