Erweiterte Suche

In 1943 Stanislawa Leszczynska was arrested by gestapo as a result of helping Lodz ghetto prisoners and sent down to concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau together with her three children. There she went through the dreadful trial. Stanislawa worked as a midwife facing inhuman conditions, on the edge of exhaustion, she delivered 3000 labors not loosing any child - Her name - as one of four outstanding Polish women of the last century - was placed on Life and Changing the Nation Goblet sacrificed by Polish women in Jasna Gora Monastery. What was the secret of this extraordinary woman? Where did her strength came from? Why even facing death she has never lost faith in what she was doing?

Michal and Ewa lead a stable, comfortable life devoted to work and their second pregnancy. Kasia and Bartek, who live next door, are struggling with serious financial problems. Unexpectedly for everyone during a quarrel, Kasia tells her husband that she is involved with Michal in a special way.

A mysterious artist appears in different districts of Minsk. He spreads his canvass and begins to paint. He creates puzzling geometric figures, rectangles and squares - The streets are alive. Curious passers-by spontaneously approach the painter and ask him questions about his work. The man never reveals what he is actually painting - he just replies with a question. He asks them what they see on the canvas. Art becomes an excuse to talk about life, the every-day reality, the state, social issues and human stories. We meet Belarusians of different generations, professions and social statuses. A tram driver, an Orthodox priest, a homeless man, a professor of history, a young mother worried about the future of her children, high school students and even a former skating coach with a broken life. Step by step we get to know the artist better. He is Zahar Cudin, one of the most promising Belarusian painters. What is the artist painting? What is the mystery behind the mysterious rectangles and squares? The explanation will be a great surprise - It is a film about contemporary Belarus shown from a new fresh perspective. It reveals the secret of the "last dictatorship of Europe".

Two huge plastic elephants are being pulled down from the top of the colorfully decorated great arena of the State Circus of Bucharest. Change has finally become unavoidable for the circus built by the communist regime in 1961. Wild animal shows have been suddenly forbidden and with it the circus loses its main attraction. Adi and his long time partner in training, Mioara, now have to see their pupils off to the Zoo and are left without the occupation that meant their life to them. The circus is in crisis, so the director must decide for a risky move: he calls in Adrian, the progressive show director from Las Vegas, who has been working for the famous Cirque du Soleil. This means revolution as Mioara, Adi and their fellows are put before a seemingly impossible task: make the sleepy circus put on a spectacular world-class show by the end of the year. We see mentalities clash, East confront West and so called modernization challenge the old ways. The former trainers try to become clowns or acrobats, Mioara starts learning a new discipline, intensive training and a harsh pace of work are imposed on everyone, but are their efforts enough to make the new show into a resounding success?

Since childhood, Vitali dreams of becoming a priest. He is still one step away from that - according to the rules of the Orthodox Church, he must find a wife. Pending a change, he rents an apartment with a friend from the seminary. In two small rooms, among books and icons, they build their own world, where they live beyond time and the rules of everyday life. Years pass and Vitali's family in Belarus is still waiting for the priest's return.

Marina is determined that her daughter Julia is going to be a figure skater. Here in Poland, her family has opportunities that they simply didn't have in Ukraine.

The life of a Polish farmer, Wojtek, and his immediate environment, shown through the eyes of the young Swiss filmmaker, Sebastian. Despite the harsh working conditions he has known since childhood, he has never lost his joy of life, warm-handedness and humor. Living all alone in a big house, he likes to welcome guests in search of company and friends in need of help. It's where Pawel, a young alcoholic with nowhere to go, finds shelter. Wojtek does his best to look after him. Is he up to the challenge?