elementary schools: grades I–IV

Siedem kobiet w różnym wieku
dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski | Poland 1978 | 13 min.

We take a peek into a ballet training hall. Inside, seven women are performing very similar dance movements. They vary in age — from a young girl to a middle-aged woman. Similar, yet at different stages of life and dance expertise. Seven days. Seven ballerinas. Seven stages. In this short film, Krzysztof Kieślowski portrays not only the cycle of a ballerina’s career and the hardships she must endure but also the cycle of human life, which comes with its own set of challenges.

Topics covered in the film: ballet, career, aging, life cycle

Wszystko może się przytrafić
dir. Marcel Łoziński | Poland 1995 | 39 min.

Little Tomek Łoziński scoots through the park on his scooter. In his red jacket, he stands out against the gray-clad walkers and seniors sitting on benches. He approaches them and, without hesitation, asks difficult, sometimes indiscreet questions. He is mostly met with openness, as his natural, childlike honesty disarms everyone he encounters.

Wszystko może się przytrafić, photo: Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop

Topics covered in the film: courage, dialogue, honesty, the meaning of life

Na progu
dir. Kazimierz Karabasz | Poland 1965 | 23 min.

It’s 1965. The camera captures a group of young women. They have just graduated from high school and stand on the threshold of adulthood. “What are these young women entering life like?” What are their plans? How do they imagine the future? Who will they become? The director not only poses these questions to his subjects but also challenges himself: to what extent can a documentarian uncover and convey the truth about a person?

Topics covered in the film: coming of age, femininity, plans for the future