This film by Dorota Kędzierzawska is first and foremost about the need for love. The leading protagonists here are two little girls who set off on a journey to find warmth and love.
Wrona, 9, is a girl raised by a single and busy mother, who does not have much time for her daughter. Wrona desperately craves for motherly love.
The lack of it makes her very aggressive towards everything and all round her. One day, she encounters a nice little girl and decides to kidnap her right in front of her house. She starts to take care of the Little One, in her own way. She can be both affectionate and cruel, in turns. She feeds and bathes her, and changes her clothes. When Wrona is angry, the Little One usually laughs. The little child is used to affection and does not understand aggressive behaviour. Both girls decide to explore the world around them. They spend a night in an old boat. Being used to coddling, the Little One asks Wrona to sing lullabies to her and rock her to sleep. At night, Wrona returns the child to her parents. She goes alone to her empty home. The mother comes back. Wrona asks her to hold her tight.
Toruń by Dorota Kędzierzawska
Part of the film was shot in the historic villa at ul. Mickiewicza 20, in Toruń.
The film crew also paid a visit to the streets in the Old Town, for example to ul. Panny Marii near the Old Town Market.
Trivia
- During filming, the film director found it difficult to cast actors for the two leading roles.
- After two shooting days, it turned out that the girl cast to play Mała (the Little One), selected from among two thousand candidates, did not cope well with the harsh reality of shooting on set.
- After 24 hours of searching for a substitute, Dorota Kędzierzawska bumped into a girl, Karolina Ostrożna, just in the Old Town in Toruń, and hired her to play Mała.
- One week later, she was again faced with the need of looking for a new girl for the leading role. An announcement that they were looking for a new girl for the film was broadcast on a local radio, and Kasia Szczepanik was chosen from among the candidates who showed up.
- The interior design of the villa at ul. Mickiewicza 20 in Toruń features a unique Art Noveau style. It was designed by F. Fellner and H. Helmer, a renowned company of architects from Vienna, famous all around Europe at the time (they designed theatre buildings, for example in Vienna, Augsburg, Chernivtsi, Cluj-Napoca, Cieszyn, the Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń, and the opera in Odessa).
- In 1996, Wrony was the Polish candidate for Academy Awards in the Foreign Language Film category.
Information on the film
Wrony / Crows
Poland 1994, 63′
Directed by: Dorota Kędzierzawska
Screenplay: Dorota Kędzierzawska
Cinematography: Arthur Reinhart
Music: Włodzimierz Pawlik
Produced by: Studio Filmowe “Oko”, Telewizja Polska
Cast: Karolina Ostrożna, Katarzyna Szczepanik, Anna Prucnal, Małgorzata Hajewska, Ewa Bukowska, Bartłomiej Topa, and others.
Selected Awards
The Gdynia Film Festival – Special Award of the Jury, Golden Clapper Award for the longest-applauded film, the Journalists’ Award, the Non Stop Servis Award for Arthur Reinhart; the Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography: The Golden Frog in the main competition for Arthur Reinhart; the IFF for Children and Youth Bellinzona (Switzerland): the Grand Prix Bronze; the Comedy Film Festival Vevey (Switzerland): the Charlie Chaplin Award; IFF Cannes: Coup de Coeur; the Lubusz Film Summer Łagów: Diploma of the Polish Filmmakers Association; the Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival in Poznań: Golden Goats, Poznań Goats Award for best film with actors, best director, best cinematography, best music, best performance awards for Karolina Ostrożna and Katarzyna Szczepanik, CIFEJ Award (International Film Centre for Children and Youth), the Children’s Jury Award for best child’s role; and others.
