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The Performer is a unique collaborative project bringing together the worlds of cinema and contemporary art to reflect on the role of the artist in contemporary society. We follow the performance artist Oskar Dawicki (played by the acclaimed real life artist) who is struggling to survive amidst growing financial pressures and his own uncompromising standards for his work. Conceived as an exhibition in the form of a feature film, The Performer works both as an existential narrative of a struggling artist as well as a unique proposal for how performance art can be documented. Featuring numerous art works by Oskar Dawicki and his mentor, the legendary Zbigniew Warpechowski, the works are spread throughout the film in the form of historical documentation and new interpretations staged within the fictional narrative of the film. Both artists appear as versions of themselves, creating a compelling mirror world filled with doubles and reflections, layering fact and fiction and questioning how to live and work authentically.

The screening will be followed by Oskar Dawicki’s performance I am sorry 2015 and a discussion together with co-director Łukasz Ronduda.

Listen to the recording:

Written and Directed by Maciej Sobieszczański and Łukasz Ronduda, The Performer, Poland 2015, colour, sound, 63 min

The Performer is the first project to receive the new annual FILM AWARD designed to support collaboration between film and art communities. Supported by the the Polish Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw in cooperation with Wajda School the FILM AWARD is a unique project to annually present 500 000 PLN (approx. 120 000 euro) for visual artists or creative teams to support the production of a feature film.

The screening is part of Polish Film Festival, 8 April – 29 May 2015.