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    A Sunday in the Country 2021 Poland

    Such a joy to finally meet people in person again: After last year’s online edition, this was the tenth “real” edition of the European Film Academy’s networking activity A SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY for young film critics & journalists. The idea, as always, was to learn from each other through the exchange of experiences and to build border-crossing personal networks. Organised in co-operation with the New Horizons International Film Festival Wroclaw, the meeting again took place in Zagórze Śląskie, Lower Silesia.

    A group of ten participants spent the days watching films and discussing them, cinema and cinephilia in general, and life as a film journalist. In between there was cooking and eating together, and networking in a charming little house by the Bystrzyckie lake. Expert for this edition was the Finland-based Polish critic Marta Balaga.

    A Sunday in the Country 2021

    After an introduction circle on Saturday night, the screening programme kicked off on Sunday with MONUMENT. The Polish director Jagoda Szelc joined the group for a passionate discussion about studying film and working with actors. After lunch the programme led to BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, Burhan Qurbani’s adaptation of the Alfred Döblin classic. The German director stayed for dinner and the discussion about film criticism went on into the night.

    After breakfast on Monday, the group watched GRITT, the feature film debut of Norwegian director Itonje Søimer Guttormsen. After a great and very personal discussion with the director, the final film was DEATH OF A VIRGIN AND THE SIN OF NOT LIVING by George Peter Barbari from Lebanon, followed by a lively conversation about responsibility, in politics and in art.

    The group was composed of ten people from nine different countries: Alexandru Mircioi (Romania), Alice Catucci (Italy), Djia Mambou (Belgium), Joanna Najbor (Poland), Kasia Kabernik (Poland), Lilla Puskas (Hungary), Roosje van der Kamp (the Netherlands), Susanne Gottlieb (Austria), Veera Jokinen (Finland) and Victor Esquirol Molinas (Spain).

    The project was organised by the European Film Academy and New Horizons Association with the support of the Polish Film Institute, the local cultural institutes and the Krzysztof Mętrak competition for young film critics.