DIRECTION: Piotr Dumała
SCRIPT: Piotr Dumała
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Adam Sikora
ART DIRECTION: Piotr Dumała
MUSIC: Paweł Szymański
EDITING: Katarzyna Maciejko-Kowalczyk, Beata Liszewska
SOUND: Jacek Hamela
PRODUCTION: Eureka Media
PRODUCER: Krzysztof Kopczyński

Stanisław Brudny (Father), Mariusz Bonaszewski (Son)

Visually stunning in its black and white photography, The Forest takes a look at the intimate relationship between a father and son living together alone in isolation from society. From the animation film master Piotr Dumala comes a quiet piece that looks at the greater implications of ordinary interactions. Dreamlike in its narrative, The Forest draws its viewers into the lonely universe the old man and his son inhabit. Tremendous cinematography of the Polish countryside and wilderness highlight the mans' interaction with mortality and contribute to the surreal flow of the film. Dialogue is sparse and so the two actors Stanislaw Brudny and Mariusz Bonaszewski tell their story with strong physical performances that provoke empathy from the viewers. This pensive film echoes the stylistic solemnity and emotional strain of family typical to an Ingmar Bergman film. A piece of this year's festival that is not to be overlooked.

PIOTR DUMAŁA