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FILM: BIRDS EYE VIEW FILM FESTIVAL

I Am
[Dorota Kedzierzawska, Poland, 2005, 93' event total 125']
Plus director Q&A
Subtitles
Saturday 10th March ICA CINEMA 2: 4PM

"A beautiful and pertinent film about child poverty and the singular human need for love." - Fiona Fletcher, BEV programmer

‘In February 2002, a teenager was detained by police in Lodz. The boy having run away from a children’s home, spent six months living alone in a shed.. Nobody was surprised or, for that matter, bothered by his presence’

Inspired by these true events, I Am is the fourth feature from one of Poland’s most talented, award winning directors Dorota Kediersawska. Stunningly shot and set to a soundtrack by Michael Nyman, I Am is the story of a young boy known to his community only as ‘Mongrel’.

Living on an old, battered barge, Mongrel befriends a troubled little girl from an affluent family who live nearby. This chance meeting brings about his first experiences of affection and even love which he has been lacking all of his young life. Not out to blame anyone or take charity, the independent and brave Mongrel wins our affections with his stoicism and undeniable spirit.

In a poignant scene towards the end of the film, Mongrel has learnt how to stand up for himself with dignity, he states his right to exist and make choices (‘I Am’) even when hope seems lost. Piotr Jagielski puts in an exceptional talented and authentic performance as a child surviving constant rejection.

Read what BEV programmer Fiona Fletcher thought about this film:

"Cinematically astounding and based on a true story, I Am encapsulates the cold heart and raw nature of a community at odds with an outsider. Evocative of Truffaut's ‘The 400 Blows', I Am is the story of a young runaway on the downward spiral into lost childhood - rejected by his wasted mother and persecuted by his peers, ‘Mongrel' has nothing, but retains dignity and spirit. Forced to live alone on an old barge he is befriended by a beer swigging little girl who lives in affluence nearby. A beautiful and pertinent film about child poverty and the singular human need for love."