Ballast 1969
A man escapes from a city to the bosom of nature. The problem is that he takes a lot of things with him. He would like to be free as a bird, but the things take control over the man and do not let him go.
A man escapes from a city to the bosom of nature. The problem is that he takes a lot of things with him. He would like to be free as a bird, but the things take control over the man and do not let him go.
The soul of a suicide man breaks out of his chest and experiences a lot of adventures. It enters the body of a king and a beggar. None of them is as comfortable as the body of the suicide man. Graves can surely guarantee peace and quiet.
A man experiences a scary night in the old forest. The trees resemble monsters that have been frozen in time, the clock faces melt as in a surreal painting and the revolving door grinds them into pieces as in an expressionist film.
A lonely man rolls a big blue ball. People encountered on the way do not help him. Night does not bring rest either, he has to chase away the birds. The man finally reaches the end of the road and pushes the ball into the sea. An animated parable created by Miroslaw Kijowicz, a director, scriptwriter of animated films, set designer and educator. An ordinary man was usually the protagonist of Kijowicz's philosophical short films. The situations presented in the films were rather general, they were supposed to provide food for thought.
A heavy smoker finds different ways to smoke all the time: while sleeping, in the shower, while shaving. People around the protagonist smoke too. His wife is the only exception. She talks about his health, wallet, and smell.
We can see a trough and dirty pigs around it. Another pig (clean and polite) approaches the trough. Other pigs react with aggression and do not want it at the trough. The animal decides to get dirty. Then, the pig is greeted with a smile and accepted at the trough.
Black and white prints by Bruno Schulz take us to his room from pre-war Drohobych. Under the influence of quotes, objects are brought to life and green plants begin to appear on the surface of the antiquities. All of the things will be consumed by the fire.
An apocalyptic Kafkaesque vision of the end of the world. The man catches cockroaches and splits them under a microscope. He connects thousands of elements to sew a piece of clothing with a hood and a mask in case of a nuclear disaster.
An executioner prepares to work. His red gloves turn into blood, and a cut tree symbolises his victim.
A horror movie takes place in the microcosm of grass. When magnified, the world of plants, insects and wild animals appears to be full of cruelty and unimaginable shapes. A change of scale would be enough to make a man tremble with fear for his life.
A modest tailor sews a cape in his basement. He would like to use it to fly. Modern machines change other people. The tailor remains the same, old-fashioned person. Persecuted, he escapes on the sewing machine and rises into the air. He flies among the zodiacal constellations. Earthly pursuers follow him and shake hands with him. However, this is just another dream of a modern Icarus.
A man is a guest of the EDEN Hotel. He can enjoy its luxuries with no limits, except for one room. The room becomes the most interesting place for the man. The animators illustrate the biblical story with a beautiful cutout and a philosophical commentary. The film was made in the cut-out technique. Its background is based on the style of old engravings and contemporary graphics.