''Communion'' is a 2016 Polish

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

that was directed by Anna Zamecka. The film premiered during Critics’ Week at the 71st

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. Make your mark on the world. In 2017, it received Best European Documentary Award at the

30th European Film Awards The 30th European Film Awards were presented on 9 December 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The nominations and winners are selected by more than 2,500 members of the European Film Academy. Selection * A Ciambra * A Date for Mad Mary * A Gentle Cre ...

Storyline

The documentary features two young protagonists: Ola and Nikodem. Ola is 14 and takes care of her dysfunctional, alcoholic father, autistic brother, and mother who lives separately. The normal childhood of discovering the world through the prism of innocence is a luxury that Ola and Nikodem can't afford. Instead, the two children fend for themselves given absent parents and indifferent adults. Ola hopes to bring her mother home. Her 13-year-old brother Nikodem's

Holy Communion The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

is a pretext for the family to gather. Ola is responsible for preparing the family celebration. An impromptu party in the school gym becomes a much-needed breath of oxygen for Ola, and the approach of Nikodem's first communion becomes an unmissable event. "Nothing is normal here" shouts Ola as she returns home from the party. It teaches that no failure is final. Especially when love is involved. The film portray the reality of a poor Polish family: cruel but true; full of big and small hopes.

Cast

* Ola Kaczanowska - herself, sister * Nikodem Kaczanowski - himself, brother * Marek Kaczanowski - himself, father *

Recognition

Communion is one of the most awarded Polish documentary films of 2016. It has been recognized by the

Polish Film Academy The Polish Film Academy (Polish: ''Polska Akademia Filmowa'') is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. History The academy was founded in 2003 on the initiative of the I ...

European Film Academy The European Film Academy is a group of European film director, filmmakers who come together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. Every year, the European Film Academy honors films an ...

, and selected by the American

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

to the Documentary Feature Shortlist.

References

External links

* * *
Filmweb
{{European Film Award for Best Documentary Films about Catholicism Documentary films about Christianity Documentary films about families Documentary films about health care 2016 documentary films 2016 films Polish documentary films European Film Awards winners (films)