The Girl from the Wardrobe

Brothers Jacek and Tomek live in one of the many claustrophobic, prefab buildings in a housing estate bearing marked traces of socialism. Jacek works at home as a webmaster to make enough money to support himself and his brother. In his free time he’s been looking for a girlfriend but it isn’t easy when he has to take care of Tomek: the latter has savant syndrome and can’t be left alone. From time to time their unpleasant neighbor is willing to sit with Tomek, but one day Jacek has no choice but to ask the mysterious and unusual Magda to look after him. Although the young woman lives in a drug-induced world of her own, it turns out that Tomek fits right in and their meeting seems like destiny. This intimate, stylized story of three entirely different people, each lonely and alienated in his or her own way, is told with hyperbole and plays out in an atmosphere bordering on the fabulous. In his unique feature debut, the talented director’s conviction and craftsmanship were instrumental in creating a visual space that captures the viewer’s imagination. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)