„Chemo” by Paweł Łoziński is a group portrait of the Warsaw oncological hospital patients. The protagonists, taking consecutive doses of chemo, talk about everyday issues, their favourite dishes, wedding dresses, but also about their plans for the future, dreams, fear and anxiety.
The Jury of the International Documentary Film Competition gave the first award in the Medium-Length at the Iranian festival to “Chemo” for “radical and beautiful cinematic choices of shooting exclusively in close up intimately reflects the inner feeling of his characters who are struggling with questions of life and death, hope and pain, leading us beyond illness and despair to a shared sense of humanity".
In the International Short Film Festival the main prize went to the film “Mother” by Jakub Piątek, ex equo with the Slovakian documentary “Arsy-Versy” by Miro Remo. “Mother” is a touching documentary about an elderly woman regularly visiting her son in prison. The meeting in the visitor’s room lasts an hour – the protagonists have to wait for another one for several weeks.
This year’s fourth edition of the International Documentary Film Festival “Cinema Vérité” in Iran took place from 8th to 12th November. The organizer of this film event is the DEFC (Documentary and Experimental Film Center), one of the largest centres of production, distribution and – most of all – promotion of the feature, documentary, animated and experimental films in the Middle East. DEFC makes several dozens films pro year, cooperating at the same time with international producers and television channels.
Detailed information on the website: defc.ir