Director – Andrzej Dudziński
Genre – An ethnographic film about a folk unprofessional artist.
Duration – 1 hour 15 minutes
Country – Poland
Language – Polish
Year – 2022
SYNOPSIS : Józef Chełmowski, one of Poland’s foremost non-professional artists, who died in 2013, did not leave the admirers of his art and talent completely alone. His works remain both in museum and private collections. His paintings, sculptures, books and shrines are scattered throughout the world and are found on every continent, perhaps with the exception of Antarctica although even that is not certain. It is also not clear what decided that one day, exactly halfway through his life, just as he was approaching forty, he decided to take hold of a chisel and paintbrush to create sculptures and paintings and recount the world as he saw it. Everyone who knew Józef Chełmowski has his or her own story about him and each story reveals that Józef Chełmowski influenced others through his art and extraordinary personality. His characteristic sayings and punchlines have entered history and those who knew him have retained them in their memories. In this way each person protects memories of their own narrative about the artist. Each person has remembered him differently and all these apparently separate accounts and memories arrange themselves into one great story about Józef Chełmowski and his life’s work. What do they talk about ? About his adventures and spiritual journeys through worlds and universes which he discovered in his imagination. He painted, sculpted and wrote about them to share them with his audience.
DMOFF AWARD –
Official Selection April 2022
