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Talking Heads
Gadające głowy
In this documentary-cum-survey made in 1979, basic existential questions are asked in the form of a street survey probe. Forty-four selected Poles, representing various professions and ranging in age from seven to a hundred years old, answer three questions: When were you born? Who are you? What do you want (in life)?
The result of the survey was a synthesised, though not necessarily representative, picture of the state of consciousness in Polish society less than two years before the events of August 1980 and the birth of the Solidarity trade union. In expressing their thoughts, the people are connected, for instance, by a longing for social change leading to greater justice, freedom, democracy and tolerance, as well as by a moral opposition to the institutions of “backscratching” and “friends in high places.” Krzysztof Kieslowski provides material for reflection on what worries and vexes people in their reality and on how human desires change with age and life experience.
Bio Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski (Poland, 1941-1996) was one of the most influential filmmakers of the 1980s and 1990s, whose multifaceted oeuvre continues to inspire filmmakers today. He became internationally known for the film cycles Trois couleurs and Dekalog. Time and again, he tells the story of a person who does not know what is good or bad and desperately seeks an answer. He also captured everyday life in communist Poland, in sharply observed documentaries. His compelling films stand out for their ingenious screenplays and beautiful cinematography.
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- This film was #44 in the “Greatest” Short Films of All Time 2025