A Polish drama about a burglar who slips into a dead stranger’s life won the top prize at the Warsaw International Film Festival on Saturday. Grzegorz Dębowski’s “What Belongs to Others” took the Warsaw Grand Prix in the international competition at the festival’s 42nd edition, which ran October 9–18 with 190 titles. The award carries 120,000 zloty (about £23,000), funded by the mayor of Warsaw. The film arrives fresh from the Orizzonti section at Venice. It follows a thief who assumes the identity of the late girlfriend of a stranger, with consequences she did not plan. Monika Kwiatkowska plays Kasia in the cast.
The jury praised the film’s “precise and delicate storytelling” and exceptional performances. It singled out a portrait “devoid of judgment” of a flawed and elusive woman who finds the possibility of her own life inside someone else’s.
Chinese director Cai Chengjie won best director for “Suzhou Quartet.” Jurors called it an original and ambitious concept, carried by striking cinematography and daring experiments with narrative form. Maria Dębska received a special jury award for her performance in “Through the Wall,” and the jury cited a role that lingers with viewers after the credits. Sweden’s Jens Sjögren earned a special mention for “Bloody Men.” The Greek title “Agia” won the Competition 1-2 award for first and second features.
Documentary honors went to Jonas Spriestersbach’s “Meanwhile in Namibia,” which examines Germany’s response to its colonial occupation of Namibia. Berlin has offered development cooperation programs in place of reparations. Audiences picked their own favorite. The Polish Film Institute Award, decided by festival-goers, went to Beth de Araújo’s “Josephine.” Angelika Cygal’s “Dying of the Young Deer” took the ORLEN Award for best Polish short.
The program mixed local discoveries with high-profile names. Danny Boyle’s “Ink,” Paul Greengrass’s “The Uprising” and Paolo Strippoli’s “The Spiral” served as centerpieces, while 15 films competed for the main prize. The festival closes Sunday.
