My Nikifor
The story of unusual relationship between Nikifor, a street artist representing Primitivism and Marian Wlosinski, the owner of the atelier, who left his own ambitions behind and looked after this brilliant self-taught painter. A lonely man with a speech defect used to communicate with the outside world by the use of his painting. His paintings of Krynica health resort streets are exhibited in many European art galleries, among them Warsaw „Zacheta”. But before that he was treated as a local weirdo. The director used two tricks to help understand the phenomenon of Nikifor. Firstly, the part was played by a woman, Krystyna Feldman, to show Nikifor’s difference and for the actress it was the role of her life. Secondly, the story is said from Wlosinski’s point of view, who sacrificed his life for Nikifor, but, at the same time, he owed him a lot. Thanks to it, Nikifor is shown not only as an artist, but also as an extraordinary man.
About the director:
Krzysztof Krauze (1953-2014) a valued Polish director, a member of European Film Academy, „Crystal Globe” winner (main prize at the Karlove Vary International Film Festival)for the film „My Nikifor”. His film debut was a comedy „New York, four o’clock” realised by „TOR” Film Studio run by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Zanussi. However, he is more famous as an author of psychological dramas based on true stories. The best-known „The Debt” is a story of two businessmen, who don’t get support from court and decide to take revenge on their persecutor. Another stream of his artistic creation are portraits of artists: Nikifor, a naive painter and Papusza, a gypsy poet. The films „Saviour Square” and „Papusza” were directed together with his wife, Joanna Kos-Krauze. He died during making their third cooperation, „Birds Are Singing in Kigali”. This film was released in 2017.
Most important films:
• 1984 „Here He Is”
• 1988 „New York, Four O’Clock”
• 1999 „The Debt”
• 2004 „My Nikifor”
• 2006 „Saviour Square”
• 2013 „Papusza”