2023 / 113 min / color
A post-punk psychological drama about a young woman craving life amidst the grayness of communist Poland. Olga Chajdas’ film is a story about a complicated bond between mother and daughter, about a relentless hunger for freedom, and about sex and meditation. It begins in 1987 in the Tricity, a place where alternative music flourishes, and ends at a highly symbolic time – two years later, after the first free elections in Poland. The protagonist is Ela, a young, rebellious artist who tries her best to get close to her seemingly emotionless mother, and finds out that she’s pregnant. The backdrop for this unconventional story is the rebellious Tricity scene of the late 1980s, a social and cultural phenomenon of the period and a harbinger of the revolutionary changes about to take place in Poland. Olga Chajdas wrote the screenplay with Lena Gora, who plays the lead role; it’s based on the story of Gora’s mother, Ela “Malwina” Wyczyńska, a charismatic artist and an icon of the Tricity scene of the time. Imago unfolds as an uncompromising, highly personal story about trying to live life on your own terms.
awards
- Gdynia PFF – Silver Lions, Best Actress (Lena Góra), Best Music;
- Karlovy Vary IFF – FIPRESCI Award
Director
Olga Chajdas
Screenplay
Lena Góra, Olga Chajdas
Cinematography
Tomasz Naumiuk
Music
Andrzej Smolik
Cast
Lena Góra, Bogusława Schubert, Mateusz Więcławek, Wacław Warchoł, Michał Balicki
Country
Poland/Netherlands/Czech Republic
Language/Subtitles
Language: Polish
Subtitles: English
