>>> The Evil Spirit (Poland)
Thirty-year-old ROBERT returns to a picturesque town by the lake in the Beskidy Mountains after an absence of six years.
He visits his cousin DAMIAN, who still lives with his parents, ANTONI and TERESA KOSAK, together with his recently married wife JULIA. Well respected by the community, the Kosaks own a thriving sawmill.
Julia quickly discovers that the appearing of the mysterious guest involves some dark secret. Robert has just finished a prison sentence, which
somehow involves both her husband and her parents-in-law. They all are afraid of something; they all hide something from her.
Has Robert returned to settle an old score? What really happened years before? What are the Kosaks so afraid of? What if there are other motives behind the visitor’s arrival? Will Antoni be able to save his son from his ‘evil spirit’?
The film gradually reveals the answers to these questions. The action takes place during one day and one night. Five people participate in an emotional psychodrama that slowly discloses family secrets and complicated relations between the characters. The tension increases until the final catharsis and, like in an ancient play, the surprising and perverse ending acquires an existential dimension.
‘The Return’ is an intimate drama whose most important qualities are expressive and psychologically genuine characters, strained and ambiguous relations between them as well as the original and well-constructed story evoking strong emotions within the audience.
As for comparisons, the theme and atmosphere of ‘The Return’, a family drama set against the nature, refers to the Scandinavian cinema, both the classical works by Ingmar Bergman and Billy August and the contemporary films, such as ‘Brothers’ and ‘After the Wedding’ by Susanne Bier.
Another important asset of this project is its intimacy. A small number of characters (five) and a limited number of locations (most action takes place in one house) lower the production costs.
Maciej Pieprzyca
Maciej Pieprzyca. Born 1964 in Katowice (Poland). Graduated from Journalism Department of Silesian University and Scriptwriting of the Film School in Lodz and Directing of the Film School in Katowice.
Has won numerous awards at international film festivals for his documentary films like SHE IS DIFFERENT, BY KNOCK-OUT, and I AM A KILLER, as well as TV films INFERNO and FEAST OF ST BARBARA. Got the Best Debut Award at the Polish Film Festival, Gdynia 2008 for the feature film SPLINTERS (2008).
