The 10th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Aljazeera in Doha, Qatar, has just ended. Among the award-winners of the festival there are two Polish short documentaries: "Sati" by Bartłomiej Świderski and “Left Side of the Face” by Marcin Bortkiewicz. The festival jury has awarded Bartłomiej Świderski with the Best Director Award. Moreover, "Sati" was nominated for the festival's main prize. The jury have also appreciated the cinematography of the film "Left side of the face" by Łukasz Żal, excellent cameraman, the author of cinematography for, among others, “Ida” by Paweł Pawlikowski and “Joanna” by Aneta Kopacz, and have honoured this documentary with the Best Camera Work Award.
"Sati" is a film reminiscence about Piotr Morawski, a conqueror of six eight-thousanders and a participant of the first in history winter expedition to Shishapangma who died in the Himalayas, at the slope of Dhaulagiri, on 8 April 2009. His story is reported by the mountaineer’s wife, Olga, full of both grief and respect for her husband’s passion.
The protagonist of “Left Side of the Face,” photographer Leszek Krutulski, makes an interesting artistic project. He travels throughout Poland and invites everyone (regardless of their age, race, nationality, religion, beliefs or sexual orientation) to visit his makeshift photographic studio. He takes the photo of the left side of people’s faces, if they agree. He will take the photo of the right side after ten years.
You can find more information about the festival Aljazeera on its website.