The GZDOC Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival is the oldest Chinese festival entirely dedicated to documentary cinema. The organisers promote local cinema but remain open to foreign productions. GZDOC serves both viewers and the entire industry thanks to a huge film fair, which presents productions from around the world.
Awarded for best direction, the film asks several extremely universal questions. Can anyone be a film protagonist? Can you fit the entire world in a single frame? Director Paweł Łoziński watches people from his balcony. Both young and old, they walk by smiling, sad, thoughtful, staring at their phones. Residents of the neighbourhood, or casual visitors, ordinary passers-by. The author approaches them, asks questions, talks about their life and how they’re doing. Standing there with his camera for over 2 years, he created a place for dialogue, a secular confessional where everyone can stop and tell others about themselves. Every person carries their own riddles and secrets. They can’t be easily labelled. Life can’t be imagined. The Balcony Movie is a radical return to the early days of cinema, when it was people who approached the camera. Perhaps one just needs to stop and stay a while to see more?
To find out more about the festival, be sure to visit its official website.