Two Polish films are on being screened at the 27th Sundance Film Festival, which is ongoing in the State of Utah.

The first of the films, entitled “The Mill and the Cross” by Lech Majewski, starring Rutger Hauer, Michael York and Charlotte Rampling is  Polish-Swedish coproduction, running in the New Frontier Feature category, which is dedicated to innovative productions that cross the boundaries of image and style of narration.

Majewski’s film is inspired by Peter Bruegel’s 1564 painting “Christ Carrying A Cross”, from which the director attempts a modern interpretation of the artist’s message. The Passion of Christ is intertwined into the story of Flanders, which in the 16th century was under Spanish occupation.

“The Mill and the Cross” has been described by the festival organisers as “a vibrant meditation on art and religion as ongoing, layered processes of collective storytelling and reinterpretation [...] a feast of stunning visual effects and a provocative allegory.”

Also in the programme is Jakub Stozek’s “Out of Reach”, a short documentary on the attempts of two young girls to rebuild their family life, a task long abandoned by the older family members.

The film is presented in the Documentary Showcase section. “Out of Reach” was honoured at the International Festival of Documentary Cinema in Mexico, and was  the winner of the 2010 International Short Films Competition at the recent Krakow Film Festival.

The previous edition of the Sundance festival presented several Polish productions, including “All that I love” directed by Jacek Borcuch as well as two student debuts from the Filmmaking school in Lodz: “Echo” by Magnus von Horn and “Birthday” by Jenifer Malmqvist.

This year’s edition of the event opened on 20 January by Robert Redford, and winds up on 30 January. 115 features are to be shown from 28 countries, 40 directors will have their debuts and 90 films their premiers, among them Majewski’s “The Mill and the Cross”. (ab/jb)

Photos courtesy: Sundance Press Service