Message to Man Saint-Petersburg /2
Scroll down some days of this blog and you will find a general presentation of the film programme at the festival in St. Petersburg that starts this coming Saturday. The festival has a fresh look, as you can see on their website, new festival centre and interesting events like this one:
“Animated films and dynamic video graffiti on the facades of buildings, light shows on the streets of the city, audiovisual presentations, and also a master class in video graffiti open to all-comers — from 21 to 27 September at the Message to Man Film Festival, Petersburgers can become the spectators and participants of an amazing creative improvisation from VjSuave, a pair of Latin American video artists. As is fitting for a public art performance, entrance to the VjSuave events will be free of charge…
Or this one: “On 21 September, the Velikan Film Centre will host the Russian premiere of a film made by homeless people. This is one of the special screenings in the programme of the Message to Man International Film Festival, organised in collaboration with Nochlezhka, a local organisation which helps the homeless. All proceeds from the sale of tickets will go towards helping the city’s homeless survive the coming winter.
The residents of St. Petersburg will be the first Russian viewers to see this film. Special gratitude is due to the director of the film, Agnieszka Zwiefka, for granting the right to screen her film in St. Petersburg. The film Albert Cinema, (Poland, 2012) (PHOTO) is the story of three homeless Poles, shot by the men themselves. Leszek, Heniek and Walus, who have been living on the street for over 15 years, have problems with alcohol and criminal pasts. Now film has changed their lives forever, becoming a kind of therapy and a vital part of the process of escaping from homelessness.
Viewers can observe the protagonists and authors of the film as they make plans for their future lives and establish contacts with their families. However, the film’s most powerful element remains the dialogues between the three men – joking, making fun of each other, quarrelling, but, above all, sharing among themselves their passion for film and discovering for themselves the magical power of art.
