Canadian Premiere
A thrilling glimpse into what it takes to compete in the prestigious and renowned International Chopin Competition, which has been held in Warsaw every five years since 1927. The stakes are high: not only because of the substantial prize money, but due to the overnight launch to fame these young pianists are promised. PIANOFORTE follows a handful of incredibly talented young musicians through rigorous practice sessions, anxiety-filled moments on and off stage, and the despair and joy of the coveted final performance. Director Jakub Piątek’s keen observational eye captures the nerves, the raw emotion, and the camaraderie and friendships that develop over the 21 days of the contest. Of course, the documentary is filled with extraordinary interpretations of the beloved composer Frédéric Chopin’s masterworks. Engaging and entertaining, PIANOFORTE provides rare insight to the sacrifice, ambition and external support required to follow this exalted musical dream.
September 30: Q&A with director Jakub Piątek
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
Poland
2023
Portraits
In Chinese, English, Italian, Polish, Russian with English subtitles
Coarse Language
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits
Producer
Maciej Kubicki
Screenwriter
Jakub Piatek
Cinematography
Filip Drożdż
Editor
Ula Klimek-Piątek
Original Music
Teoniki Rożynek
Director
Photo by Michal Hara
Jakub Piątek
Jakub Piatek was born in 1985 in Poland. Piatek studied at the Polish National Film School in Łódź. Before studying directing, he worked as a journalist. His full-length feature debut Prime Time (2021) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. PIANOFORTE (2023) also premiered at Sundance, receiving its international premiere in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Piatek currently teaches film at the Polish National Film School.
Filmography: Prime Time (2021);
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Goldman Case
In 1976, Jewish radical Pierre Goldman was facing the death penalty, accused of committing a double murder during an armed robbery. Goldman admitted to a string of similar robberies, but denied murder. Instead, he put the cops on trial.
His Three Daughters
Three sisters -- Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olson, and Natasha Lyonne -- congregate to attend the final few days of their father's life. They bring with them years of barely-repressed jealousy and resentment, as well as wildly different personalities.
Filtration: Three Colours: Blue
Directly filtering the image that comes into a lens allows cinematographers to vastly alter how a scene looks and feels. We'll analyze the radical ways Kieslowski's closet collaborator, Slawomir Idziak, editorializes in such films as Three Colours: Blue.
Green Border
In her seventies Agnieszka Holland has made a ferocious, emotionally charged film about the brutal treatment of refugees arriving over the Polish land border from Belarus. This is a vehement denunciation of resurgent fascism and utterly compelling cinema.
Lyd
Lyd is the Arab name for 5000-year-old town that is now the Israeli city of Lod. Made by a Palestinian and a Jewish American, this creative non-fiction film excavates the history of this place leading to a detailed examination of the events of 1948.
Amadeus
In which the celebrated court composer Salieri welcomes a much ballyhooed young prodigy to Vienna. To his dismay, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is an impudent, callow upstart. Worse, he's a genius. Winner of 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.