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Never Gonna Snow Again

Directed by Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert, 2020 Poland, Germany 113 minutes
18+
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After Cold War and Corpus Christi, Polish cinema’s renaissance continues with this intriguing and stunningly-shot drama about a mysterious masseur who infiltrates a gated community. In Competition, Venice.

When charismatic Ukrainian masseur Zenia (Stranger Things’ Alec Utgoff) applies for residency in Poland, a stern government official says, “I feel quite strange around you.” What happens next sets the tone for a tantalising drama of appearances by Malgorzata Szumowska (Mug, SFF 2018) and frequent collaborator Michal Englert. Everyone in a cluster of soulless McMansions on the city outskirts agrees that Zenia is a miracle worker with a magic touch for physical and mental rejuvenation. But is there more to the newcomer than meets the longing gaze of so many women behind those bland brick frontages? Middle-class ennui and repressed desire have rarely been manipulated with such skilful and slyly satirical hands; the film was deservedly Poland’s 2021 Oscars submission for Best International Feature.

Program Strand
Features,
Classification
Unclassified 18+
Language
In Polish, Russian, French and Vietnamese with English subtitles.
Director
Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert,
Producer
Agnieszka Wasiak, Mariusz Wodarski, Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert,
Cast
Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza,
Screenwriter
Michał Englert, Małgorzata Szumowska,
Cinematographer
Michał Englert,
Editor
Jaroslaw Kaminski, Agata Cierniak,
Genre
Off-Beat, Religion & Belief, Women Directors, Comedy,
Company Credits
Australian Distributor: Palace Films,

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