The Congress
100 years ago, Stanisław Lem was born. Although he is no longer with us, he left behind the immortal literature that continues to inspire artists from around the world. Lem’s works have always been popular among filmmakers. Although it is not a secret he didn’t reciprocate the recognition of directors, over the years there have been at least several screen adaptations of his prose that deserve special attention. As part of the History in Cinema/History of Cinema series we present two author’s selections of outstanding curators. Piotr Kotowski is responsible for the program of full-length live-action films, and Piotr Kardas has selected short animated productions.
LEM ON THE BIG SCREEN
screening curator: Piotr Kotowski
The Congress, dir. Ari Folman (Poland, Germany, France, USA, Belgium, Israel) 2013, 122’, 16+
A famous actress, Robin Wright, gets an unusual offer. Thanks to advanced digital technology she can be “scanned”. From now on, all her roles will be played by a virtual copy. The decision she makes to have unlimited time for her loved ones turns out to be the beginning of her journey through the world of the future. The film is based on Stanisław Lem’s “The Futurological Congress”. Winner of the European Film Award.