- Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Poland
Wolski Tomasz
Goldfish
"Goldfish" is a film about the colourful everyday lives of a group of mentally handicapped people. The film follows the group as they prepare to put on a production of "The Tale of the Goldfish", an adaptation of a work by Alexander Pushkin. They take part in the rehearsals for the play, which will be performed in the theatre in Krakow, Poland. This is a story about simple dreams that may come true. Kamil wants to have lift licence and learns to operate lift by himself. Michal tries to make his dream come true every day by trying to create as much cleaning work as possible, but the truth is that his passion are horses. He dreams to go to them. Marek's television has bad reception so he wants a new antenna. Witek - lazy boy, after trying out different jobs, becomes a porter because it doesn't demand much.
The Clinic
A hospital: crocheting, crosswords, sleep, conversations. It is Sylwester's 23rd time in hospital. His wife died 13 years ago and now he has to take care of everything. Luiza is not feeling very well although she keeps her good mood and her appetite is such that she could eat the entire hospital, as she says. Józefa, who used to be a property-woman in a theatre, likes to talk about stars and the professor of medieval studies has smuggled in a pack of cigarettes…
The Lucky Ones
The field of observation is limited to the seat of the Registry Office within its opening hours, or more specifically to its three rooms. One of them is used to register births, the second one - deaths and the third one - weddings. The observation of the clients' and clerks' behavior in each room unveils a picture of our everyday life as well as fate.
The Actors
Documentary made during the filming of Jacek Blawut's debut "Before Twilight" features retired actors in a rest home in the town of Skolimów. A spare camera captured old actors waiting to be called on the set. "The Actors" is a sincere film about waiting, full of subtle humor. How do the retired actors cope with the fact, they are no longer the stars on the big screen or the center of the stage?
Silence I
First task of the documentary students, taking part in the first Documentary Course was to make the three-minute short films entitled “Silence”. Each of them interpreted this term differently. Six of the shorts were chosen and put together in a set, touching much profound matter than the original aim of a student’s task.
H2O
A documentary by Tomasz Wolski focuses on a slow, fragmentary observation of a small part of reality. Its centre is in a market square of a small town somewhere in the south of Poland. That’s where three springs of water have their origins, only several metres away from each other. A camera records reactions of passers-by and watches their behaviour. Interestingly, in the majority of cases, the behaviour is totally different by each of the springs.
Doctors
What happens behind the closed doors of surgical wards, treatment rooms and other spaces where specialist medical consultations take place? The film follows the everyday work of doctors in a surgical ward: the hierarchy between them, the need to take important decisions, the struggle with economic problems. Although usually they use a vernacular incomprehensible to an average person, they also tell jokes or insider’s anecdotes. Their work, despite the knowledge and experience acquired, may still involve surprising moments.
The Palace
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw was a despised gift from Stalin. After the political system transformation in Poland some suggested to pull it down. But the palace is still standing and doing fine, pulsating with the life of hundreds of offices, hosting a theatre, concert hall, cinema and even a swimming pool and city council room. Having already visited a clinic, hospital and registry office, this time Wolski takes his camera into the building that is a reflection of Poland’s everyday life and history. The nooks and crannies of the building make a backdrop to apt and witty observations as well as an inspiration to more general diagnoses.
"Goldfish" is a film about the colourful everyday lives of a group of mentally handicapped people. The film follows the group as they prepare to put on a production of "The Tale of the Goldfish", an adaptation of a work by Alexander Pushkin. They take part in the rehearsals for the play, which will be performed in the theatre in Krakow, Poland. This is a story about simple dreams that may come true. Kamil wants to have lift licence and learns to operate lift by himself. Michal tries to make his dream come true every day by trying to create as much cleaning work as possible, but the truth is that his passion are horses. He dreams to go to them. Marek's television has bad reception so he wants a new antenna. Witek - lazy boy, after trying out different jobs, becomes a porter because it doesn't demand much.
The Clinic
A hospital: crocheting, crosswords, sleep, conversations. It is Sylwester's 23rd time in hospital. His wife died 13 years ago and now he has to take care of everything. Luiza is not feeling very well although she keeps her good mood and her appetite is such that she could eat the entire hospital, as she says. Józefa, who used to be a property-woman in a theatre, likes to talk about stars and the professor of medieval studies has smuggled in a pack of cigarettes…
The Lucky Ones
The field of observation is limited to the seat of the Registry Office within its opening hours, or more specifically to its three rooms. One of them is used to register births, the second one - deaths and the third one - weddings. The observation of the clients' and clerks' behavior in each room unveils a picture of our everyday life as well as fate.
The Actors
Documentary made during the filming of Jacek Blawut's debut "Before Twilight" features retired actors in a rest home in the town of Skolimów. A spare camera captured old actors waiting to be called on the set. "The Actors" is a sincere film about waiting, full of subtle humor. How do the retired actors cope with the fact, they are no longer the stars on the big screen or the center of the stage?
Silence I
First task of the documentary students, taking part in the first Documentary Course was to make the three-minute short films entitled “Silence”. Each of them interpreted this term differently. Six of the shorts were chosen and put together in a set, touching much profound matter than the original aim of a student’s task.
H2O
A documentary by Tomasz Wolski focuses on a slow, fragmentary observation of a small part of reality. Its centre is in a market square of a small town somewhere in the south of Poland. That’s where three springs of water have their origins, only several metres away from each other. A camera records reactions of passers-by and watches their behaviour. Interestingly, in the majority of cases, the behaviour is totally different by each of the springs.
Doctors
What happens behind the closed doors of surgical wards, treatment rooms and other spaces where specialist medical consultations take place? The film follows the everyday work of doctors in a surgical ward: the hierarchy between them, the need to take important decisions, the struggle with economic problems. Although usually they use a vernacular incomprehensible to an average person, they also tell jokes or insider’s anecdotes. Their work, despite the knowledge and experience acquired, may still involve surprising moments.
The Palace
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw was a despised gift from Stalin. After the political system transformation in Poland some suggested to pull it down. But the palace is still standing and doing fine, pulsating with the life of hundreds of offices, hosting a theatre, concert hall, cinema and even a swimming pool and city council room. Having already visited a clinic, hospital and registry office, this time Wolski takes his camera into the building that is a reflection of Poland’s everyday life and history. The nooks and crannies of the building make a backdrop to apt and witty observations as well as an inspiration to more general diagnoses.
Tomasz Wolski - polish documentary director – is a graduate of the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing. He was awarded at Los Angeles Film Festival with Best Documentary Short, Palm Sprig International Shortfest with Jury Special Citation, The Punto de Vista Documentary Film Festival in Spain with Jean Vigo Prize for the Best Director, DocumentART Festival in Germany with Grand Prix, International Film Festival “Era New Horizons” in Wroclaw for Best Documentary and “Slamdance on the Road” Festival in Poland with Grand Prix.
The director of “Silence”, “The Clinic”, “Goldfish”, “The Actors”, “The Lucky Ones”, “H2O”, “Slowly” and “The Doctors”.
Wajda School
ul. Chelmska 21 bud. 24
00-724 Warsaw
ul. Chelmska 21 bud. 24
00-724 Warsaw