The motto of the 21st edition of Millennium Docs Against Gravity is 'In relation to the world.' From the poster of the largest Polish film festival, Maria Smolarz, the protagonist of Łukasz Ronduda and Dawid Nickel's film 'Rave,' gazes at the audience. Bartek Bojarczuk, the creative director of the ILLCAT.studio, is the author of this year's visual identity for the festival. The author of the poster photograph is Alicja Lesiak, a photographer who will also be a member of the jury for the Best Cinematography Competition.
In relation to the world
"The motto of this year's Millennium Docs Against Gravity directly references the topics addressed by the films featured in the festival program. It's also a tribute to the extraordinary work of creators who depict the reality surrounding us and the magical bond formed in the cinema hall. Following the motto, we focus on human relationships and showcase the boundless complexity of our nature. On one hand, it allows for friendship, love, and empathy. On the other hand, it is our species that is responsible for the destruction of ourselves and the planet, which is not just a home for us," says Karol Piekarczyk, artistic director of MDAG. The presence of the young artist and DJ Maria Smolarz (@nocnakawiarnia) on the poster draws attention to the new generation entering artistic adulthood.
A story about techno music and rave culture in Poland
Maria is the protagonist of the film "Rave," which tells the story of techno music and rave culture in Poland. The film was selected to the Polish Competition and will have its world premiere during the 21st MDAG. The film tells the story of the evolution of rave music and subculture in Poland. Two young ravers will guide us through this world: Marysia and Janusz, along with Marcello Zamenhoff – a performance artist and one of the pioneers of Polish rave. The basic question the characters are hoping to answer is will the young generation be able to reconcile the Polish techno scene, which has stayed class-divided since its very beginnings in the ‘90s.
The creators of the 21st MDAG poster
The author of this year's MDAG visual identity for the second time is Bartek Bojarczuk (@ill.cat) - the creative director of the ILLCAT.studio. He is a designer for unconventional tasks, requiring a special approach. A recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the Golden Sword at KTR, Good Design, Must Have, 3x3 Annual, and Polish Graphic Design Awards.
The motif of the reflection of the face, which appears in the photo of this year's juror, award-winning photographer Alicja Lesiak (@lesiala), refers to the role of documentary cinema in showing the various faces of ourselves and the world around us. The collaborative work on the photo was an opportunity for two female artists from different fields of art to meet.
The 21st MDAG will take place from May 10th to May 19th in seven cities (Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Łódź and Bydgoszcz), followed by an online edition from May 21st to June 3rd on mdag.pl. The titular sponsor of the event is Bank Millennium (https://www.bankmillennium.pl/).
