JOHNNIE THE WATERMAN [1993]
year:
- 1993
release date:
- 17 II 1994
runtime:
- 100 min
directed by:
- Jan Jakub Kolski
written by:
- Jan Jakub Kolski
director of photography:
- Piotr Lenar
cast:
- Franciszek Pieczka [Johnnie the Waterman], Grażyna Błęcka-Kolska [Weronka, Johnnie’s wife], Bogusław Linda [magician Stygma], Katarzyna Aleksandrowicz [the Purified], Olgierd Łukaszewicz [Old Man], Wiesław Cichy [the Dead Man], Renata Pałys [Dead Man’s wife], Henryk Niebudek [the peasant], Małgorzata Kałuzińska [Czarnowłosa], Kazimierz Krzaczkowski [ojciec Oczyszczonej], Katarzyna Kurylońska [Stygma’s girlfriend], Mariusz Kiljan [a shepherd], Lech Gwit [Socha]
edited by:
- Ewa Pakulska
music by:
- Zygmunt Konieczny
production design:
- Tadeusz Kosarewicz
produced by:
- Vacek-Film
executive producer:
- Andrzej Stachecki
awards:
-
• Polish Feature Film Festival Gdynia 1993: Special Jury Prize, award for the best male actor in a leading role for Franciszek Pieczka, the Journalists’ Award
• Lubusz Film Summer Łagów 1994: Silver Grape, the Juliusz Burski Organizers’ Award
• Festival of Young East European Cinema Cottbus (Germany) 1994: Best Find Award of Honour
• Award of the Slovak Film Critics Bratislava (Slovakia) 1994
• IFF Baltic Countries Svetlogorsk (Russia) 1994: best actor award for Franciszek Pieczka
• IFF Moscow (Russia), 1995: Grand Prix Gold Knight Actor, best actor award for Franciszek Pieczka
About the film
Part folk ballad and part philosophical morality play, outside historical time, bypassing the civilization staffage of the Polish countryside. The author draws straight from core values, the eternal qualities of human nature, which are part of the beauty of the rural landscape. The film is surprising in the originality of its form and the metaphysical meaning hidden in the images of ordinary actions, feelings and passions of people.
Old man Johnnie one day discovers that he can heal with water. He leaves his young pregnant wife to devote himself to healing people. He plans to come back, but the newly discovered ability has changed Johnnie. His fame as a healer makes him lose himself in his new life. He forgets his wife; he surrounds himself with comforts and beautiful women. Meanwhile, his wife gives birth to a child. The baby has a tail. The woman follows Johnnie, but he is not able to heal their child. He has lost his power, and his new life with it. Everyone leaves him apart from his wife.
Waldemar Piątek, Leksykon polskich filmów fabularnych, Warszawa 1996
