US Premiere!
Ode to Joy is the joint début of three students at the Lodz film school. The young directors give their personal visions of contemporary Polish reality in three different stories. The binding factor is the need to express themselves in favor of their generation – with all its own problems and values – and against the established order. The film is made up of three parts: Silesia, Warsaw and Pomerania. These stories are about a significant problem for Poland and other post-Communist countries: The exodus of the young generation, who are often also the intellectual elite of the country. The makers have interwoven factual and fictional elements into their award-winning script, and invited three co-students to provide the camera work.

Anna Kazejak-Dawid studied directing at the Lodz film school. She already has several prizes for her short films Et Cetera (2000, short), Puls (2003, short), and Jestes tam (2003, short).

Jan Komasa studied at the Lodz film school.The short film Fajnie, Ze Jestes (Good, You’re Here) won the third prize of the Cinéfondation at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Maciej Migas studied directing at the Lodz film school.

Screenwriters: Anna Kazejak-Dawid, Jan Komasa, Maciej Migas Cinematographers: Klaudiusz Dwulit, Piotr Niemyjski, Radoslaw Ladczuk Editors: Maciej Pawlinski, Bartosz Pietras, Rafal Listopad Music: Jacek Lachowicz Cast: Malgorzata Buczkowska, Dorota Pomykala, Barbara Kurzaj, Piotr Glowacki, Roma Gasiorowska, Leslaw Zurek, Tomasz Lengren, Jan Dravnel