My Nikifor

  • 100'
  • Poland
  • 2004
The character from the title is the Polish naive artist Nikifor (1895-1968), convincingly acted by Krystyna Feldman, a theatre actress who is over 80 years old. Since Linda Hunt acted in The Year of Living Dangerously, there has never been such surprising cross gender casting. The other protagonist in this unusual biographical film is the party apparatchik and would-be painter Marian Wlosinski. He first meets Nikifor in 1960 when the latter walks into his studio uninvited in the health resort of Krynice. A special relationship develops between the two of them. At first, Wlosinski is mainly irritated by the contempt that the mentally and physically handicapped Nikifor displays for his attempts to paint. But when he recognises his unmistakable talent, this changes to slightly jealous admiration and a need to help him. He takes an interest in the misty origins of Nikifor, who was born Epifan Drowniak. Nikifor's mother, who was probably deaf and dumb, died when he was young. Hindered by a speech defect and a form of autism, he managed to survive, drawing and painting with all kinds of things he found. Against the backdrop of the grey Communist era, beautifully photographed by Krzysztof Ptak, the film provides a moving picture of the way Wlosinski tries to help Nikifor. My Nikifor has already received many awards, including one at the film festival of the health resort Karlovy Vary. (GT)
  • 100'
  • Poland
  • 2004
Director
Krzysztof Krauze
Country of production
Poland
Year
2004
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
100'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Mój Nikifor
Language
Polish
Producers
Zebra film productions, Telewizja Polska S.A.
Sales
Zebra Film Studio, Zebra film productions
Screenplay
Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze
Cinematography
Krzysztof Ptak
Editor
Krzysztof Szpetmanski
Production Design
Magdalena Dipont, Anna Wunderlich
Sound Design
Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski
Music
Bartlomiej Gliniak
Cast
Krystyna Feldman, Roman Gancarczyk
Director
Krzysztof Krauze
Country of production
Poland
Year
2004
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
100'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Mój Nikifor
Language
Polish
Producers
Zebra film productions, Telewizja Polska S.A.
Sales
Zebra Film Studio, Zebra film productions
Screenplay
Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze
Cinematography
Krzysztof Ptak
Editor
Krzysztof Szpetmanski
Production Design
Magdalena Dipont, Anna Wunderlich
Sound Design
Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski
Music
Bartlomiej Gliniak
Cast
Krystyna Feldman, Roman Gancarczyk