- Title: Polish mix of thriller and comedy "Pokot" hits Berlinale
- Date: 12th February 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) DIRECTOR AGNIESZKA HOLLAND, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION): "I didn't want to save the world but while we were working on the film, reality suddenly started galloping ahead around us and a lot of bad things started to happen that the hunters - if you like - show here. For example Borys plays a n
- Embargoed: 26th February 2017 17:40
- Keywords: Berlin film festival Pokot Agnieszka Holland
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY / VARIOUS FILMLOCATIONS
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY / VARIOUS FILMLOCATIONS
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA004637S6RD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: If you can't make up your mind which genre of film you want to see at the cinema then "Pokot" could be the one for you.
The Polish film by director Agnieszka Holland is a psycho thriller with fairytale imagery of forest wildlife and a black comedy with a feminist twist.
Holland and her cast brought "Pokot" to the Berlinale competition on Sunday (February 12).
"All these genres were blended here", Holland said at a news conference (February 11). "And for me that was a challenge and I wasn't sure whether I would be able - would my talent and craft would be up to the job."
In "Pokot" the retired engineer and dedicated astrologist Duszejko is fighting passionately against poachers and hunters that kill animals in the remote forest area between Poland and the Czech Republic. For the strict vegetarian shooting animals is nothing short of murder. But all her appeals and complaints are futile in the macho world around her. Nobody even seems to care when her beloved dogs go missing.
When a mysterious series of deaths among hunters hits the community, Duszejko tries to convince authorities that the animals are striking back. Or could it be that the eccentric old lady herself is not as peaceful as she seems?
Holland doesn't see her film as manual for human behaviour but says that there are parallels to the current political situation.
"I didn't want to save the world but while we were working on the film, reality suddenly started galloping ahead around us and a lot of bad things started to happen that the hunters - if you like - show here."
Adding: "This world, these narcissistic men who go hunting in the meantime have become mainstream. But it is not our fault, really. We didn't start it the fact that suddenly things started to happen like this and the film became political on this level."
At the premiere on Sunday afternoon Holland expressed her hopes that the film might get people thinking about the way they treat the environment and each other.
"If they will be touched, if they will be laughing, if they will be opening their heart and soul to another peoples feelings to the animals' feelings to this planet, you know, to the knowledge that we're all together and we are all dependent on each other and we have to respect each other."
"Pokot" is one of 18 films at the 'Berlinale', competing for Golden and Silver Bears. The festival runs until February 19. The awards will be handed out on Saturday, February 18. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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