January 21, 2023
FILM: SILENT LOVE
DIRECTED BY: MAREK KOZAKIEWICZ
RATING: 3 ½ OUT OF 4 STARS
By Dan Pal
The new Polish film Silent Love feels so personal and intimate that one might initially think it is a well-polished work of fiction. In fact, the film is a documentary that takes us deep into the relationship between a woman, Agnieska, and her 14-year old brother Milosz after their mother passes away from cancer. Their father had died a few years earlier so Agnieska seeks to become the boy’s permanent foster parent. The film slowly reveals that Agnieska is also in a relationship with Majka, a woman previously from Poland but currently living in Germany.
Agnieska is not the warmest of people but she devotes all of her energy into this new life taking care of Milosz. She’s willing to forsake her relationship with Majka so that Milosz can remain in their conservative town in Poland where he has his own life and friends. Meanwhile Majka must decide if she wants to move to back to Poland, a country that does not seem to possess the progressiveness of her life in Germany.
Filmmaker Marek Kozakiewicz, who serves as not only director but writer and cinematographer as well, creates a quiet and sensitive look at the complexities of this Polish society and its struggles with LGBTQ rights. News reports reveal some of this as Poland sets up LGBT Free Zones that emphasize the homophobia and lack of tolerance overtaking parts of the country. Similarly, a very traditional gym/dance teacher, who makes clear that he feels men are men and women are women, teaches Milosz at school. Men should “grab and pull” women when they dance, he says. There is also a scene in a church that makes its own proclamations that only a traditional male/female relationship can make a “real” family.
All of this is under the surface of Agnieska and Milosz’s life. They don’t spend a lot of time talking about it except for a conversation about what it means to be gay or lesbian and the significance of a rainbow flag. Milosz seems to understand but to what level remains unclear. What is certain is that he develops a bond with Majka and easily accepts her into their very small family. The relationship between them is strong and stands in contrast to all the rhetoric they are hearing about the importance of traditional gender roles and unions.
It’s tough to see that some of this is still an issue in other countries. In this case, both Milosz and Agnieska are also dealing with grief and starting a new life without their mother. The film presents all of these struggles as part of the reality of their life. Like the relationship between Agnieska and Majka, these issues remain mostly silent as the very warm hearted Milosz innocently laughs and enjoys whatever time he has with the women. Fears are expressed such as living with some of the conservative values in Poland versus the more open-minded Germany where Majka resides. Generally though, Milosz is kept free from having to focus on these larger concerns.
In all, the film presents a very realistic look at the socio-political situation in Poland as it relates to the LGBTQ community, parenting, and raising children. I found that the film slowly builds on its ideas never hitting audiences over the head with its concerns but ultimately grabbing us and really making us feel for this non-traditional and very loving family. The film is a must-see for anyone interested in continuing their understanding about LGBTQ struggles and how steps made in other countries such as the U.S. are still not quite resolved in others.
Silent Love premiered today at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, UT. A second screening will be held on Wednesday, January 25th at 11:15 AM.
FILM: SILENT LOVE
DIRECTED BY: MAREK KOZAKIEWICZ
RATING: 3 ½ OUT OF 4 STARS
By Dan Pal
The new Polish film Silent Love feels so personal and intimate that one might initially think it is a well-polished work of fiction. In fact, the film is a documentary that takes us deep into the relationship between a woman, Agnieska, and her 14-year old brother Milosz after their mother passes away from cancer. Their father had died a few years earlier so Agnieska seeks to become the boy’s permanent foster parent. The film slowly reveals that Agnieska is also in a relationship with Majka, a woman previously from Poland but currently living in Germany.
Agnieska is not the warmest of people but she devotes all of her energy into this new life taking care of Milosz. She’s willing to forsake her relationship with Majka so that Milosz can remain in their conservative town in Poland where he has his own life and friends. Meanwhile Majka must decide if she wants to move to back to Poland, a country that does not seem to possess the progressiveness of her life in Germany.
Filmmaker Marek Kozakiewicz, who serves as not only director but writer and cinematographer as well, creates a quiet and sensitive look at the complexities of this Polish society and its struggles with LGBTQ rights. News reports reveal some of this as Poland sets up LGBT Free Zones that emphasize the homophobia and lack of tolerance overtaking parts of the country. Similarly, a very traditional gym/dance teacher, who makes clear that he feels men are men and women are women, teaches Milosz at school. Men should “grab and pull” women when they dance, he says. There is also a scene in a church that makes its own proclamations that only a traditional male/female relationship can make a “real” family.
All of this is under the surface of Agnieska and Milosz’s life. They don’t spend a lot of time talking about it except for a conversation about what it means to be gay or lesbian and the significance of a rainbow flag. Milosz seems to understand but to what level remains unclear. What is certain is that he develops a bond with Majka and easily accepts her into their very small family. The relationship between them is strong and stands in contrast to all the rhetoric they are hearing about the importance of traditional gender roles and unions.
It’s tough to see that some of this is still an issue in other countries. In this case, both Milosz and Agnieska are also dealing with grief and starting a new life without their mother. The film presents all of these struggles as part of the reality of their life. Like the relationship between Agnieska and Majka, these issues remain mostly silent as the very warm hearted Milosz innocently laughs and enjoys whatever time he has with the women. Fears are expressed such as living with some of the conservative values in Poland versus the more open-minded Germany where Majka resides. Generally though, Milosz is kept free from having to focus on these larger concerns.
In all, the film presents a very realistic look at the socio-political situation in Poland as it relates to the LGBTQ community, parenting, and raising children. I found that the film slowly builds on its ideas never hitting audiences over the head with its concerns but ultimately grabbing us and really making us feel for this non-traditional and very loving family. The film is a must-see for anyone interested in continuing their understanding about LGBTQ struggles and how steps made in other countries such as the U.S. are still not quite resolved in others.
Silent Love premiered today at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, UT. A second screening will be held on Wednesday, January 25th at 11:15 AM.