Poles Triumph in Moscow
Polish directors pretty much stole the show at this year's Moscow Film Festival. And interestingly enough, both of the winning Polish entries were films that focused on poisonous elements in the former Soviet system.
Jan Kidawa-Błonski won the Best Director award for Little Rose (Róźycka), whilst Borys Lankosz topped the rankings for first-time directors with The Reverse (Rewers).
Both films explore the machinations of communist informers - a legacy that continues to spark explosive debate in Poland, with new "traitors" being regularly unmasked until today. Little Rose was inspired by the real-life travails of respected historian Pawel Jasienica (who was blabbed on by his own wife), whilst The Reverse is a more fictional tale, with a heavy dollop of black humour.
There has been talk of a renaissance in Polish cinema since last year's National Film Festival in Gdynia, when a batch of new films raised critics eyebrows. This follows a lacklustre period since the collapse of communism, with endless funding problems coupled with a dearth of visionary talent.