ABOUT PAPUSZAPapusza is based on the true story of the Roma poet Papusza and the Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski, who discovered her great talent. Papusza was the first and only Roma woman who put her poems into writing and even published them. By doing so, she confronted the traditional females role in her community and as a result, she and her family were banished.

It is a story of a gifted woman who wants to preserve her culture with words and has to pay a painful price for that decision.

When a person is young,In heart and hope,The world opens easilyWith any kind of key.

(Papusza)

LOGLINETrue story of Papusza - the first Roma woman who put her poems into writing and published them, and therefore confronted the traditional female image in the gypsy community.

SYNOPSISTrue story of Papusza - the first Roma woman who put her poems into writing and published them, and therefore confronted the traditional female image in the gypsy community. The film follows Papuszas life from birth to old age: arranged marriage as a small girl, her life in a gypsy tabor before, during and after second world war, then forced settlement in communist Poland and urban life in poverty. Her meeting with the Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski, who discovered her great talent for poetry and published her works led to a tragic paradox: a famous poet was living in poverty, rejected by the Roma community, for betraying their secrets.

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 2

WHAT MAKES PAPUSZA SPECIAL?ORIGINAL ROMA LANGUAGE

The ensemble of actors includes mostly non-professionals from Roma families. Their emotional and natural performances create an impressive and enchanting authenticity. Polish professional actors also speak mostly in Roma language, which accounts for 80% of the script.

VISUAL STYLE

Crisp, black and white compositions shot by Krzysztof Ptak (multi-awarded DOP of over 80 films) and Wojciech Staro (Silver Bear for Best Cinematography 2011).

MUSIC

Specially composed for the film, includes live performances of the first ever opera with a libretto in Roma language sung by Elbieta Towarnicka (known from Kielowskis Three Colours: Red and Blue).

MAKE-UP

With the help of astonishing make-up art and VFX, Papuszas life story is told over the course of several decades in a highly convincing way.

CULTURAL REFERENCES1980s edition of Jerzy Ficowskis poems was illustrated by Marc Chagall.

Papuszas life was also fictionalized in the best-selling novel Zoli by Colum McCann (Random House 2006), whose novels has been translated to over 30 languages. He has been named one ofEsquires Best & Brightest. Review quotes on Zoli:

McCann takes this self-contained universe, whose politics are road and grass, and confronts it with its polar

opposite - a hermetic society at whose frozen heart is the urge to re-engineer and homogenise the soul:

postwar communism.

The Guardian

Colum McCann imagines a deeper, darker watchword for this immemorially wandering and persecuted

people: to be understood, even in part, is to be violated and destroyed.

The New York Times

Zoli continues his [McCanns] epic exploration of identity to follow the rise and decline of a Romani singer and poet.

The Independent

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 3

DIRECTORS STATEMENTPapusza was a Roma girl, born in a carriage, an autodidact, who in the end was mentioned in the worlds encyclopedias and had her work translated into many languages. She was also named as one of the 60 most important women in Polish history. Isnt this an astonishing destiny worth to be told in an epic film? For us, it was also an opportunity to introduce the world of the Romas and to give it back its dignity.

The culture of the Roma has hardly ever been greeted with interest, evoking fear and aggression instead. With his monograph, Jerzy Ficowski has shed a new light on Roma people and contributed to a better understanding of that group. He confronted the schemes and prejudices, which had categorized Roma as demonic and worthless. We want to follow Jerzys steps and show our audience the pure and passionate soul of the Gypsy culture.

Beside the two main characters Papusza and Jerzy Ficowski there is a third collective protagonist, namely the gypsy world. Reconstructing Roma way of life, which has been extin-guished in its original form from the European landscape, proved to be the biggest chalenge during our five year work on the film. Only after our work was finished, we have realised how daring a task it was to try to reconstruct this world from scratch, i.e. to build the tabors as they were and tell 80 years of Romas history until the era of communist reign in Poland, which resulted in compulsory Roma settlement. Especially as there is not much documentation available on the subject Roma and their extermination while at the same time there is massive body of research into prewar Jewish culture and the Holocaust.

Our film tells a story of a remarkable woman, who paid a terrible price for transgressing norms of her community and publishing her poetical works a price of rejection and solitude. It is also a story about love and a character who is way beyond her times and has the courage to stay true to herself until the very end.

It is not a biopic (in a sense that My Nikifor was also not a biography). It is not a socio-political film or a work with etnographic aspirations. It is a film about courage to create, the suffering and being alone at the peak of popularity, unrequitted love and deviotion. But also about happiness.

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 4

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze are Polands leading film auteurs. Their work is characterised by a deep humanist approach and respect for their protagonists. Their first collaboration was Dug (Debt), directed by Krzysztof and jointly co-written. The film was recently chosen as the most important Polish production of the past twenty years. Altogether, their films have received more than 120 awards in Poland and around the world. Their films include Mj Nikifor (My Nikifor), a story about a forgotten painter (Award for Best Director in Karlovy Vary) and Plac

Zbawiciela (Saviour Square), a drama about a toxic family.

PREVIOUS FILMSPlac Zbawiciela (Saviour Square) - 2006

SELECTED AWARDS & FESTIVALS- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2007 Competition- Trieste International Film Festival 2008 Grand Prix- 52. Semena Internacional de Cine de Valladolid 2007 - Espiga de Plata, Best Actress- Polish Film Festival (Gdynia Film Festival) 2006 Grand Prix Golden Lion, Best Actress- Polish Film Awards 2007 Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress

Mj Nikifor (My Nikifor) 2004

SELECTED AWARDS & FESTIVALS- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2005 Grand Prix Crystal Globe, Best Director, Best Actress- Chicago International Film Festival 2005 Grand Prix Golden Hugo, Best Actor- Panorama of European Cinema, Athens 2005 - FIPRESCI Prize- Polish Film Festival (Gdynia Film Festival) 2004 - Best Actress, Best Editing, Best Costume Design- Polish Film Awards 2005 Best Actress, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography

Dug (Debt) 1999

SELECTED AWARDS & FESTIVALS- 50. Berlin International Film Festival 2000 Panorama- Philadelphia International Film Festival 2000 Best Director- Polish Film Festival (Gdynia Film Festival) 2000 - Grand Prix Golden Lion- Polish Film Awards 2000 Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 5

PAPUSZA JOWITA BUDNIKJowita Budnik is a Polish actress and a talent agent. She was born in Warsaw, 1973. She graduated from the Warsaw Universitys Applied Social Sciences Institute. In the year 1985-2000 she played a number of episodic roles in Polish and French features and TV series. In 1999 her career took a major shift, when she has met with the directors Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze . She has won recognition for playing supporting characters in their feature films Dug (The Debt) and Mj Nikifor (My Nikifor). Her persona inspired Krauzes to write their next feature screenplay Plac Zbawiciela (Savior Square), where Budnik played the main part. Her role was met with enthusiastic reception and won her Best Actress Award at the Polish Film Festival (Gdynia Film Festival) in 2006.

CINEMATOGRAPHY - KRZYSZTOF PTAKDirector of Photography. Born in Sulejow, Poland in 1954. Graduated from the Higher National School of Film, Television and Theatre in Lodz The Cinematography Department. Krzysztof Ptak pioneered the HDTV in Poland with Jan Jakub Kolskis feature Pornografia (2003) and was one of the first Polish cinematographers to use digital cameras.

CINEMATOGRAPHY - WOJCIECH STARONBorn in 1973, Polish cinematographer of documentaries and fictions, documentary director. Graduated of the Cinematography department at the Film School in Lodz. Working with directors: Joanna i Krzysztof Krauze (Saviours Square), Jerzy Sladkowski (Vodka Factory), Jacek Blawut (Before Twilight). His debut Siberian Lesson(1998) won awards as IDFA, Krakow IFF and Paris (Cinema du Reel). Recent Argentinian Lesson won many awards as Cinema Eye Honor, DokLeipzig, RIDM. He is a Silver Bear winner at the 61st Berlinale for Artistic Contribution for cinematography to El Premio /The Prize, dir. P.Markovitch.

MUSIC - JAN KANTY PAWLUSKIEWICZ

Jan Kanty Pawlukiewicz is one of best-known theatrical and film music composers in Poland; he is associated with numerous Polish stages, among others Stary Teatr and Teatr STU in Cracow and with Teatr Narodowy (The Polish National Theatre) and Teatr Powszechny. He started his artistic activity in the 1960s. He has been associated with the famous Piwnica pod Baranami cabaret for many years.

He has received three nominations for the Fryderyk award in the category of Classical Music and The Composer of the Year (Polands most important music award). His latest concerts, similar in formula to classical music, have been qualified as Mystery Music.

In 1994 he composed a symphonic tribute to Bronisawa Wajss poetical works called Harfy Papuszy (Papuszas Harps).

He also composed film music to a few dozen short subjects and many feature films, directed among others by Krzysztof Kielowski, Feliks Falk and Agnieszka Holland.

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 6

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY & AWARDS:Dom zy (The Dark House) dir. Wojciech Smarzowski 2009

- Camerimage IFF 2009 Silver Frog Award- Polish Film Awards 2010 Golden Eagle for Best CinematographyMj Nikifor (My Nikifor), dir. Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 2004

- Polish Film Awards 2005 Golden Eagle for Best Cinematography- Camerimage IFF 2004 Nomination for the Golden Frog AwardPornografia (Pornography), dir. Jan Jakub Kolski 2003

- Polish Film Awards 2004 Golden Eagle for Best Cinematography- Camerimage IFF 2003 Nomination for the Golden Frog Award

Edi, dir. Piotr Trzaskalski 2002

- Cameraimage IFF 2002 - Golden Frog Award- Polish Film Festival (Gdynia FF) 2002 Best Photography- Polish Film Awards 2003 Nomination for Best Cinematography - Newport Beach Film Festival 2003 Best CinematographyWeiser, dir. Wojciech Marczewski - 2001

- Polish Film Awards 2002 Golden Eagle for Best Cinematography300 mi do nieba (300 Miles To Heaven), dir. Maciej Dejczer

- Nomination for the Best Photography for European Prize Felix Paris 1989

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY & AWARDS:as DOP:

Uwikani (Entangled), dir. Lidia Duda, documentary - 2012

- Cracow Film Festival - Best Film, Best Cinematography El Premio (The Prize), dir. Paula Markovitch, feature - 2011

- Berlinale IFF 2011 - Silver Bear for The Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Camera) Fabryka wdki (Vodka Factory), dir. Jerzy ladkowski, documentary - 2010

- Grand Prix Doc LeipzigPlac Zbawiciela (Saviour Square), dir. Krzysztof Krauze & Joanna Kos-Krauze, feature 2006

- Camerimage IFF 2006 - Best CinematographyJakub (Jacob), dir. Adam Guzinski, short - 1998

- Cannes IFF 1998 - Palme dor of Cinefondation

As Director:

Argentyska lekcja (Argentinian lesson) documentary, 2011

- MoMA New York Documentary Fortnight- Cinema Eye Honor - Spotlight Award- Golden Horn best documentary, best cinematography Cracow IFF- Silver Dove Leipzig IDFF- Best director Popoli IFF- Best documentary RIDM Montreal- Best documentary Makedox- Camerimage IFF Special mention 2011- Grand Prix Guangzhou IFFSyberyjska lekcja (Siberian Lesson) - 1998

- Grand Prix Cinma du Rel Paris IFF, IDFA Amsterdam FIPRESCI Award- Silver Hobbyhorse Cracow IFF 1998- Andrzej Munk Award Debut of a year 1998

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY & AWARDS:Plac Zbawiciela (Saviour Square), dir. Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze - 2006

- 52. Semena Internacional de Cine de Valladolid 2007 - Espiga de Plata, Best Actress- Polish Film Festival (Gdynia Film Festival) 2006 Grand Prix Golden Lion, Best Actress- Polish Film Awards 2007 Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress

Mj Nikifor (My Nikifor), dir. Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze - 2004

Dug (The Debt), dir. Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze - 1999

DIRECTORSCREENPLAY

CINEMATOGRAPHYPRODUCTION DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGNSOUND

EDITINGMUSIC

CAST

PRODUCED BYPRODUCTION COMPANIES

PRODUCTION CONTACT

TITLECATEGORY

DIALOGUESCOMPLETION

WORLD PREMIEREDURATION

SHOOTING FORMATPICTURE

SCREEN RATIOSOUND SYSTEM

AVAILABLE FORMATS

Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof KrauzeJoanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof KrauzeKrzysztof Ptak, Wojciech StaroAnna WunderlichBarbara Sikorska-BouffaMateusz Adamczyk, Jarosaw Bajdowski, Sebastian WitkowskiKrzysztof SzpetmaskiJan Kanty PawlukiewiczJowita Budnik (Papusza)Antoni Pawlicki (Jerzy Ficowski)Zbigniew Walery (Dionizy Papuszas husband)Artur Steranko (Czarnecki)Argomedia sp. z o.o., Lambros ZiotasTelewizja Polska S.A., Canal+ Polska & Studio Filmowe KADRArgomedia sp. z o.o., ul. Wystawowa 1, 51-618 Wrocaw, Poland

PapuszaDrama / BiopicPolish / Roma2013JULY 2013- Karlovy Vary IFF131 min.HDB&W1:85DCP 5.1HDCam, DCP, Bluray

CREW FILM INFO

PRODUCED BY LAMBROS ZIOTAS WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY JOANNA KOS-KRAUZE & KRZYSZTOF KRAUZE PRODUCTION MANAGER BEATA OSMELAK-KILIAN PRODUCTION COMPANIES ARGOMEDIA SP. Z O.O., TELEWIZJA POLSKA S.A., CANAL+ POLSKA & STUDIO FILMOWE KADR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY KRZYSZTOF PTAK PSC,

WOJCIECH STARO PSC PRODUCTION DESIGN ANNA WUNDERLICH EDITING KRZYSZTOF SZPETMASKI PSM MUSIC JAN KANTY PAWLUKIEWICZ CAST JOWITA BUDNIK, ZBIGNIEW WALERY, ANTONI PAWLICKI

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 7

PAPUSZA | Poland 2013 | Written & Directed Joanna Kos-Krauze & Krzysztof Krauze 8

NEW EUROPE FILM SALES - WORLD SALES & PROMOTION New Europe Film Sales is a boutique world sales and distribution company based in Warsaw, Poland. The company holds worldwide rights to a number of short and feature films and works with theatrical, TV, VOD and internet buyers.

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