Directed by Mariusz Wilczyński, animation, 88 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Mariusz Wilczyński
Over the course of his filmmaking career, Mariusz Wilczyński has been creating animated shorts. Fifteen years in the making, his debut feature-length film, Kill It and Leave This Town, takes us on a raw, rough, fragmented, angry and brilliant personal journey. The film’s setting is faintly reminiscent of Lodz, an industrial Polish city where Wilczyński grew up during the 1970s. Poetic, and illusionary, the film captures the monotony, the brutality, and the heartbreak associated with existing, and the passing of time. Embracing its purposeful rough gaze, the film never fails to impress visually, resembling the art of David Lynch in its industrial style, brusque tone and curt humour.
Besides the visual richness represented by the immaculate animated images, the characters come alive in the expressive voices of some of the most renowned Polish artists, including Andrzej Wajda, Krystyna Jand, Andrzej Chyra or Maja Ostaszewska. The film is also a tribute to Tadeusz Nalepa, an exceptional guitarist, composer and one of the most influential artists of Polish popular music from the mid-60’s, whose songs feature on the outstanding soundtrack.
The film premiered in Berlinale's Encounters.
Awards:
Annecy IFF 2020 (Special Jury Prize)
Ottawa IAF 2020 (Best Animated Feature)
Polish Film Awards 2021 (Best Film, Best Screeplay, Best Sound, Best Film Score)
Polish Film Festival 2020 (Best Film, Best Sound)