Kinoteka presents a special screening of Agnieszka Holland’s feminist ecological thriller, based on Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, now adapted for stage and showing in the Barbican Theatre.
Winner of the Berlin Festival Silver Bear, Holland described it as an “anarchistic, feminist crime story with elements of black comedy”. Duszejko, a retired engineer (powerfully played by Agnieszka Mandat) lives quietly with her dogs on the Polish Czech border, teaching English in her spare time. Following unexplained disappearances and then deaths she determines to uncover the truth. Strong local allegiances influence perspectives and soon lines between hunter and hunted blur. Watch out for a cameo from Tomasz Kot.
Powerful cinematography that celebrates the natural world is important in driving the narrative, along with costumes that are strong signifiers of each character (Katarzyna Lewińska won the European Film Awards prize as Costume Designer 2017).
Read as a modern fable or mystic narrative the message against injustice is clear, highlighting the value of friendship and of those on the margins.
With a recorded intro by the director, Agnieszka Holland
Please note this film includes brief documentary clips of hunting, and animals that have been injured due to the hunt, as well as scenes featuring dead animals.
The screening of 'Spoor' will coincide at the Barbican with a highly-anticipated theatre production of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by theatre company Complicité, which is supported by the Polish Cultural Institute in London.
More details of that production can be found in our News Section and here: https://kinoteka.org.uk/news/complicite-presents-t...
