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HAIKU SKIEN: A film story about an extraordinary life and creative inspirations
Maciej J. Nawrocki
I live in Skien. This is the hometown of Henrik Ibsen. You can feel it everywhere, the Municipal Theater named after him, his quotes, sculptures, his busts, as well as his dramas and graffiti. During a very dark time for me, I temporarily lived in a room left by a girl who died of an overdose, in a house that resembled a shelter for addicts. This house is located on the legendary Snipertorpgata Street, next to the Playwright's house. The street atmosphere, world events, warm words from a childhood friend and the magic of Christmas created HAIKU SKIEN
The last words of a haiku poem are the gateway to heaven.
I think so too. That's why HAIKU SKIEN went on a world festival tour. I am pleasantly surprised by the successes, especially in India, where respect for people is particularly important. I talked about its positive impact. But I don't deny that there are films that can also have a negative impact on the viewer. All creators should be aware of this.
Do you think movies can change people for better or worse?
Yes, I'm sure that's the case. That's why HAIKU SKIEN went on a world tour. I am pleasantly surprised by his success, especially in India, where people are respected. I talked about its positive impact. However, I do not deny that there are films that can have a negative impact. All creators should be aware of this.
What style of creation did you use to produce the project? What film elements did you use?
I am fascinated by Danish cinema, especially ONE TAKE shots. , the Danish Dogma and cinema classics such as "Citizen Kane". These are good models in which we can encounter intra-frame editing. My brother did a great job framing my character.
Why do you think your film should be of interest to distributors?
Distributors should be more interested in the one-minute film format, as it requires a lot of creativity, which allows for the selection of talented creators, including: without technical support. This format is ideal for the comprehensive popularization of artistic cinema among today's busy society.
At which festivals was your film shown?
Haiku Skien debuted in my hometown of Gdańsk at the REFLEKSJA One-Minute Film Festival organized by film studies students. It was the only selection among my three entries to film competitions in Poland. I went to Požega in Croatia for the first foreign premiere of the film. A great memory, although the film shot on a phone didn't look good on the big screen. Shortly after returning from Croatia and despite my great skepticism, the film received first prize in Santa Barbara by reaching the semi-finals. Shortly afterwards, it received an award in Athens, where it received quite a critical review. This did not prevent the film from winning triple wins at three festivals in India, including double awards in two different categories. Not so long ago, two more victories in the USA. Last one in Philadelphia. I would be very pleased if the film gained greater recognition in Europe, where Human Rights was written.
Review of the Athens-awarded film “HaikuSkien”
How did your friends react when they saw the movie for the first time?
Yes, some of my friends saw this movie. Most of the time I received polite compliments, but I don't think they were particularly impressed with the film at first. They are certainly a bit surprised by today's success.
What movies are your favorites and why?
As I have already mentioned, my passion is Danish cinema, but it is not only there that I find my favorite films. Unfortunately, I will not undertake to point out any of them, because there are so many of them that not mentioning any title could make me feel wronged by those left out.
What topics do you like to discuss in your stories?
Since childhood, when I went to festival cinemas in Gdynia to play truant at school, I was fascinated by blockbusters. Lively action, distinctive characters, beautiful landscapes and locations. Perhaps in the future I will be able to resume my previous projects that did not find the right people at the right time, or I did not have such clout in my homeland, where creating cinema is an elite and hermetic activity, subject to specialized education.
There is a voice somewhere inside me that gives me the power to create history. So as to ignite the viewer's feelings and give him the opportunity to think many times about what is a valuable gift for his soul.
Susanne Bier, Tarantino, Tarkowski, Polanski, Clint Eastwood
I plan to make another 2/3 short films to make my presence in cinema more visible. The projects already have their skeleton scenarios. In the near future, I plan to finish working on the script of the blockbuster Hydrogåte (Heroes from Telemark 2) and start working on a rather surprising, completely new full-length project, which currently seems to be the most interesting of all my projects so far. Maybe this will be the one that will be successful. As I mentioned at the beginning of the interview, a debuting filmmaker must rather look for topics that will attract the attention of a wider audience in order to also gain the financial interest of possible producers and distributors. Commercial success allows the creator to open all possibilities and doors in the future.
We invite you to listen to the interview with Maciej, which will take place on our YT platform on December 6.
