SHILLY-SHALLY

Michal Szmanda, a sick young man, is haunted by nightmares. He recalls a Christmas that he spent at a sanatorium being treated for asthma; then, flashes of a visit paid by Korean children. The night is coming. Michal eavesdrops on his mother and sister talking about a retirement money cheque cut up with scissors. The next day his mother is busy in the garden. Michal rifles through her memorabilia from the Stalinist times.

Filip Bajon's drama recalls Stalinism in Poland and its stultifying effects on later generations. The drama is played out in symbolic terms and may appear obscure to the uninitiated. Despite this, Shilly-Shally represents an intense and original drama. It won several prizes at last year's Gdansk Film Festival.