The International Short Film Festival Berlin (Interfilm) is one of the most important events in Europe, dedicated entirely to short films. The Interfilm is on the prestigious list of festivals qualifying for the Academy Awards in as many as two categories: short animated films and short feature films. The festival in Berlin can also boast great popularity. Every year, the number of submissions exceeds 7 thousand, out of which 500 films, presented in the extremely rich programme of the event, are selected.
In the programme of this year’s edition of the festival, there was quite a large representation of our films. Animated films were in the lead. In addition to the award-winning film by Plucińska, the following titles competed for the awards: “Story” by Jola Bańkowska, “My Strange Elder Brother” by Julia Orlik, “You Are Overreacting” by Karina Paciorkowska, “Squaring the Circle” by Karolina Specht, “Colaholic” by Marcin Podolec, “III” by Marta Pajek, “Tango of Longing” by Marta Szymańska and “The Hunt” by Mateusz Jarmulski.
“Portrait of Suzanne,” as a German-French-Polish co-production, was included in the national section, where it won the second prize. The animated film by Izabela Plucińska is set in a small hotel, in which there is a man who tries to prevent his hunger for love by overeating. However, plates full of cooked meats, vegetables and fruit cannot soothe the longing for his beloved Suzanne. When the protagonist goes to the city in search of food, he accidentally injures his left foot which unexpectedly turns into Suzanne. From then on, they can be inseparable… This is, however, only the beginning of a surreal story about loneliness, jealousy and love. A grotesque adaptation of the short story by Roland Topor, made of plasticine, in which every detail delights.
On the other hand, “In A Lion” won in the section Green Film Competition. In his documentary film, Karol Lindholm portraits the Danish zoo, where families with children come on a Sunday afternoon in winter. This day, a special attraction waits for everyone. The employees of the zoo prepared an extraordinary mystery play connected with the body of a young lion. The animals are also beautiful on the inside. However, not all of the viewers submit to the charm of the spectacle…
The list of all award-winning films can be found here.