Corpus Christi (2019)

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Movie
Original title Corpus Christi
Country of production Poland
original language Polish
Publishing year 2019
length 115 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Jan Komasa
script Mateusz Pacewicz
production Leszek Bodzak ,
Aneta Cebula
music Evgueni Galperine ,
Sacha Galperine
camera Piotr Sobocinski Jr.
cut Przemyslaw Chruscielewski
occupation

Corpus Christi (also Boże Ciało in Poland ) is a film drama by Jan Komasa , which celebrated its world premiere on September 2, 2019 at the Venice Film Festival and was released in Polish cinemas on October 11, 2019. The film is freely based on the true story of a young ex-prisoner who successfully pretended to be a priest for months. Corpus Christi received eleven out of 15 possible awards at the 2020 Polish Film Awards.

action

Shortly before his 21st birthday, Daniel is released from prison. During his time in a juvenile prison, he served the prison priest Father Tomasz as an altar boy, picked up one or the other prayer formula, enjoyed the sermons and experienced a spiritual transformation. He wanted to go to a seminary himself after serving his sentence, but the crime he has committed prevents him from doing so. Instead of reporting to a sawmill as a worker in the course of reintegration, he pretends to be a priest in a nearby village, disguised accordingly.

The new pastor can, after initial reservations, win over the extremely conservative church community over time. At his first mass he has to improvise because he lacks the right words and explains that silence can also be a prayer. Thanks to a suitable app on his smartphone, he also passes the first test in the confessional without any problems and can therefore advise the worried mother who caught and beaten her child smoking to buy him stronger cigarettes.

The cool man of God with his unusually easygoing manner is particularly popular with young parishioners. However, the radical sermons are a thorn in the side of the mayor, who is also the owner of the sawmill. In addition, he absolutely wants to prevent a tragic accident from the past from being re-examined.

production

True events and staff

Corpus Christi goes back to true events. In 2011, the story of Patryk Błędowski's machinations hit the headlines in Poland: the then 19-year-old man pretended to be a priest for three months and held masses. In 2014, Mateusz Pacewicz, the film's screenwriter, told this story in “Dużym Formacie”, a supplement to the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza . In addition, Pacewicz had published the book Kazanie na dole (also Sermon at the bottom ) about Błędowski's story.

Director Jan Komasa

Directed by Jan Komasa . He builds the film on the true events of the story around the false priest and enriches them with fictional elements. For example, what happened in the juvenile detention center and the tragedy that struck the village did not take place. Regarding the story of this young man who was released from a juvenile detention center and pretended to be a priest in the parish of St. Andrzej Bobola in the small community of Budziska in the Masovian Voivodeship, Komasa says that the people there loved him and were shocked. when she found out he wasn't really a priest. The most amazing thing was that as soon as he was blown people started writing letters to the Vatican. To everyone's surprise, the Vatican sanctioned its sacraments, which solved a major problem as people in the community did not know whether they were married or whether their children were baptized.

As with his follow-up film The Hater , in which Maciej Musiałowski played the lead role of Tomasz, Komasa was interested in both films to show how the group influences an individual and how the chosen whipping boys suddenly become someone who is afraid of . However, they are somehow heroes too. The prowess of Daniel in Corpus Christi is in a way to reconcile the community by pretending to be someone he is not. Ralf Schenk from the film service remarks that Komasa's main character is not one of those actual church dignitaries who are addicted to alcohol, abuse children and maintain strictly forbidden contacts with homosexual clans, as in the much-discussed hit film Clergy by Wojciech Smarzowski , but quite the opposite: Daniel performs his self-chosen service without guilt, unorthodox and responsible, very close to those who need his encouragement and comfort. "

Cast and filming

The shooting took place in Jaśliska, Poland, here the church

The film and theater actor Bartosz Bielenia took over the role of Daniel, who poses as a false priest. Łukasz Simlat plays the real prison priest, Father Tomasz. Eliza Rycembel took on the role of Marta, Aleksandra Konieczna plays her mother Lydia, Anna Biernacik Marta's friend. In other roles Tomasz Zietek can be seen as one of Daniel's fellow inmates and Mateusz Czwartosz in the role as a bonus.

About the casting of the main role with Bartosz Bielenia, the director said: “When he came to the audition, he had long hair, he was very thin, he was wearing a long sweater, a cap. He came with his dog. ”But because his father is also an actor, he followed his intuition to fill the role with a young actor who is not afraid of leaving their comfort zone.

The shooting took place in the Polish village of Jaśliska in the powiat Krośnieński .

Film music and publication

The score was composed by Evgueni and Sacha Galperine . The soundtrack, which comprises a total of five pieces of music, was released as an EP by Les Contes Modernes in early November 2019.

The first screening took place on September 2, 2019 at the Venice Film Festival . From September 10, 2019, it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival . After a screening at the Polish Film Festival Gdynia in September 2019 , it was shown in Polish cinemas on October 11, 2019. From the end of October 2019 he was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival . In November 2019 it was shown at the Minsk International Film Festival "Listapad" in the main official competition and at the Cottbus Film Festival in the Polskie Horyzonty section. Also in November 2019 it was presented at the AFI Film Festival in the World Cinema Section. In January 2020 it was screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival . The cinema release in Germany is scheduled for September 3, 2020.

reception

Reviews

The film has so far won over 97 percent of Rotten Tomatoes ' critics and received an average rating of 7.8 out of a possible 10 points.

Bartosz Bielenia , here 2020, plays Daniel in the film, who poses as a priest

Dieter Oßwald, film correspondent for the Gilde deutscher Filmkunsttheater , writes that with what is only his third feature film, Jan Komasa is presenting himself as an impressive talent for directing whose style is convincing. With dramaturgical minimalism and maximum psychological precision, this simple story develops into a multi-layered drama about existential questions of power, morality and forgiveness. With an ingeniously constructed script, Komasa succeeds in constantly plunging his hero into new dilemmas and predicaments with compelling logic. Almost imperceptibly, the viewer changes from being a mere observer to a compassionate accomplice of this figure. The dramaturgical coup succeeds because the main actor Bartosz Bielenia proves to be the perfect cast, according to Oßwald: "With stunning intensity and yet completely effortless, he gives this David a credibility and empathy that you can hardly escape." In his funny moments, this works oppressive drama just as flawless as in the exciting scenes that looked like a thriller .

Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times explains that on the one hand there are all the elements of a classic thriller : an "excruciating tension that resonates with the constant possibility of doom, the feeling that anything can happen at any time." This young man has it Calling to understand people and to help them find themselves in a constant conflict between their desire to help and their fears of being exposed.

Ralf Schenk from Filmdienst writes in his criticism Bielenia by no means lend this Daniel the aura of a saint figure, on the contrary: "His chiseled skull and wiry body identify him as someone who has already experienced all kinds of bad things and who is able to deal hard himself." This ambivalence, the tightrope between the laborious taming of one's own affects and their eruption, between tenderness and violence, silence and scream, makes the figure rich and its story unpredictable, says Schenk. In this way, Corpus Christi becomes a film full of secrets, which puts the viewer in a rollercoaster of emotions. The cool objectivity with which Komasa stages the case, his moral impetus, but also the metaphysical nature of the main character, the intangible nature of their behavior, reminds Schenk of the style of Robert Bresson or the heroic images of Georges Bernano . With Corpus Christi, the director succeeded in creating a differentiated image of the time that puts moral and ethical problems of the present up for discussion.

Awards (selection)

Corpus Christi was submitted by Poland as an entry for the Academy Awards 2020 in the category Best International Film and was nominated in this category by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in mid-January 2020 . At the 44th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia he was awarded ten prizes. As part of the presentation of the Polish Film Prize in early March 2020, the film was able to win eleven out of 15 possible awards, which was a record in the 22-year history of the film prize. In addition, Corpus Christi is in the preselection for the European Film Awards 2020 . Below is a selection of other awards and nominations.

Chicago International Film Festival 2019

  • Nomination for best feature film in the international competition ( Jan Komasa )
  • Award as best actor with the Silver Hugo ( Bartosz Bielenia )

Filmfest Hamburg 2019

  • Nomination for the Film Critics' Award (Jan Komasa)

Stockholm International Film Festival 2019

  • Award for Best Actor in Stockholm XXX Competition (Bartosz Bielenia)

Minsk International Film Festival “Listapad” 2019

  • Award for the best director (Jan Komasa)
  • Awarded the audience award
  • Awarded the Special Jury Award - Director (Jan Komasa)

Academy Awards 2020

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2020

  • Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film for the FIPRESCI Prize (Jan Komasa)
  • Award as Best Actor in an international feature film with the FIPRESCI Prize (Bartosz Bielenia)
  • Received the Young Cineastes Award (Jan Komasa)

Polish Film Award 2020

Polish Film Festival Gdynia 2019

  • Awarded the audience award (Jan Komasa)
  • Award for the best director (Jan Komasa)
  • Award for the best screenplay (Mateusz Pacewicz)
  • Award for Best Supporting Actress (Eliza Rycembel)
  • Award for best film with the journalist award (Jan Komasa)
  • Award as Discovery of the Festival - Nagrodę Onetu (Bartosz Bielenia)
  • Awarded the crystal star Elle (Bartosz Bielenia)
  • Award for best feature film with the Award of Festivals and Reviews of the Polish Film Abroad (Jan Komasa)
  • Award for best film with the Don Kichot of the Polish Federation of Film Discussion Clubs (Jan Komasa)
  • Award for best film with the Award of the Network of Studio and Local Cinemas (Jan Komasa)

literature

  • Mateusz Pacewicz: Kamil, który księdza udawał . In: Gazeta Wyborcza , article from January 22, 2014 with illustrations by Mateusz Kołek.
  • Mateusz Pacewicz: Kazanie na dole . Agora, 2014. (e-book)

Web links

Commons : Corpus Christi  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of release for Corpus Christi . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 201041 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ a b Dieter Oßwald: Corpus Christi. In: programmkino.de. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ The priest who was no priest. In: iffr.com, February 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ Piotr Halicki: To jego historią inspirowali się twórcy "Bożego Ciała". Patryk Błędowski: powiedziałem "dość", kiedy miałem udzielić ślubu. In: kultura.onet.pl, February 4, 2020. (Polish)
  5. ↑ Michelle Knoblauch: The greatest Polish Arthaus success 2019: Rightly so. In: cineman.ch. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. ↑ Nominacja w kategorii Film: Mateusz Pacewicz. In: polityka.pl, December 3, 2019. (Polish)
  7. ↑ a b Gregory Ellwood: Scammers or spiritually motivated, fake priests figure in Poland's 'Corpus Christi'. In: Los Angeles Times, January 1, 2020.
  8. ↑ a b Daria Porycka: Jan Komasa: "Hejter" ma sprowokować widza, żeby zaczął się bać .. In: Gazeta Prawna, March 9, 2020. (Polish)
  9. ↑ a b Ralf Schenk: Corpus Christi. In: Filmdienst. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ https://jawagabunda.pl/podroze/jasliska/
  11. ↑ 'Corpus Christi' Soundtrack EP Released. In: filmmusicreporter.com, November 5, 2019.
  12. ↑ Jeremy Kay: Oscar submissions 'Corpus Christi', 'Instinct' among Chicago festival international line-up. In: screendaily.com, September 16, 2019.
  13. ^ Corpus Christi. In: listapad.com. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Section Polskie Horyzonty. In: filmfestivalcottbus.de. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  15. ↑ https://awardswatch.com/afi-fest-announces-world-cinema-and-documentary-sections/
  16. ^ Program booklet of the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2020. In: psfilmfest.org. Retrieved January 3, 2020 (PDF; 331 KB)
  17. ↑ Start dates in Germany. In: insidekino.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  18. ^ Corpus Christi. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  19. ↑ Kenneth Turan: Review: 'Corpus Christi' is an Oscar-nominated knockout. In: Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2020.
  20. ↑ Leo Barraclough: Toronto Title 'Corpus Christi' Picked as Poland's Candidate in Oscar Race. In: Variety, September 13, 2019.
  21. ↑ EFA 2020 | EFA Feature Film Selection | Part 1 . In: europeanfilmawards.eu. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  22. ^ Announcing Competitions for the 55th Chicago International Film Festival. In: chicagofilmfestival.com. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  23. ↑ Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Vitalina Varela Win Top Awards At The 55th Chicago International Film Festival. In: chicagofilmfestival.com. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  24. ^ Corpus Christi. In: filmfesthamburg.de. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  25. ↑ Winners at Stockholm International Film Festival 2019. In: cision.com, November 15, 2019.
  26. ^ Audience Awards of the 26th MIFF "Listapad". In: listapad.com, November 8, 2019.
  27. ^ Awards of the Main Feature Film Competition of the 26th MIFF “Listapad”. In: listapad.com, November 8, 2019.
  28. ↑ https://polandin.com/45253930/success-for-polish-movie-corpus-christi-at-the-film-festival-november-in-minsk
  29. ↑ Pete Hammond: Palm Springs Film Festival Sets Lineup; 'An Almost Ordinary Summer' & 'Military Wives' Are Opening- And Closing-Night Movies. In: deadline.com, December 10, 2019.
  30. ↑ Pat Saperstein: 'Beanpole', 'Talking About Trees' Among Palm Springs Film Festival Winners. In: Variety, January 11, 2020.
  31. ↑ Orły 2020: Nagrodzone filmy. Wyniki i zdjęcia z czerwonego dywanu. Lista laureatów Polskich Nagród Filmowych. “Boże ciało” z 11 statuetkami. In: polskatimes.pl, March 5, 2020 (Polish)
  32. ↑ Ola Salwa: 11 Polish Eagles have landed for Corpus Christi. In: cineuropa.org, March 3, 2020.
  33. ^ Agnieszka Holland's movie wins Golden Lions at Gdynia Film Festival. In: polandin.com, September 22, 2019.
  34. ↑ Ola Salwa. Mr. Jones tames the Golden Lions at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. In: cineuropa.org, 23 September 2019.
  35. ^ Winner of the 44th Polish Film Festival. In: festiwalgdynia.pl. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  36. ↑ Mateusz Pacewicz: Kamil, który Księdza udawał. In: Gazeta Wyborcza (Duży Format), January 22, 2014. (Polish)
  37. ↑ Kazanie na dole. In: publio.pl. Retrieved April 5, 2020.