FIRST LAST SUMMER

PIERWSZE LATO KOŃCA ŚWIATA

The world as we know it is coming to an end. In a secret military center, somewhere by the Polish sea, a strange experiment is being carried out – a group of scientists and military men transform repeat offenders into animals. The experiment is supervised by Gaja, a scientist and a veterinarian, who selects convicts for transformations, takes care of animals and decides when they can be released into the wild to fulfill their role as species restorers. In her work, she is helped by her adolescent son, Janek.- he does what he’s told to and doesn’t ask questions, but when a new transport of convicts arrives, a young woman U, immediately attracts his attention. She did not end up here by accident, innocent people are not sent to help dying nature, but Janek is determined to help her get out of this place. This means, however, defying his own family and a cause way bigger than himself. It is a beautiful summer, though, and the feeling that connects these two – the convict and the prison helper – could certainly have a future. If only it wasn’t the first summer of the end of the world… Whose lives would we be willing to sacrifice if nature gave us such a bill?

  • Genre: Live action
  • Country: Poland
  • Running time: 25
  • Year: 2020
  • Color: colour

Director: Nastazja Gonera

Script: Nastazja Gonera

DOP: Tomasz Gajewski

Music: Wojciech Urbański, Michał Bąk

Editing: Nikodem Chabior, Alan Zejer

Sound: Błażej Kanclerz

Production company: PWSFTviT (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna), Sputnik Studio

About the director:

Nastazja Gonera

Nastazja Gonera

Born 1990. Theatrologist, director and scriptwriter graduate of Lodz Film School. She’s an author of several short movies, music videos and documentaries. She is also finalist of the Teren TR organizers competition at the Rozmaitości Theater in Warsaw. As the youngest participant, she directed performative reading as part of the International Digital Play Festival at the studio theater in Warsaw and New York. Nastka is currently working on her feature debut.

At festivals:

61st Krakow Film Festival, 2021, Poland, 2021 (Silver Hobby-Horses)

11th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus, Cyprus, 2021 (Best Director)

29th Raindance Film Festival, United Kingdom, 2021 (competition)

41st VGIK International Student Festival, 2021, Russia, 2021 (Special Mention)

22nd International Izmir Short Film Festival, Turkey, 2021 (2nd Award)

19th In the Palace International Short Film Festival, Bulgaria, 2022 (competition)

23rd of Ismailia International Film Festival (IIFF), Egypt, 2022 (competition)

18th FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival 2022, Portugal, 2022 (competition)

70th Martovski Festival - Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival, Serbia, 2023 (competition)