We will kick off early in the afternoon and finish in the wee hours of the morning therefore ‘marathon’ is definitely the right word to describe what awaits us on that July night at the Forest Opera. Dubbing it a ‘film’ event, however, is not doing full justice to the programme we have in store for our guests. Apart from movies, there will be opera, music, workshops, talks, meetings with artists… Who’s ready to go all the way to the finish line with us?
One of the Marathon’s highlights will be a chance to see Mariusz Treliński’s enthrallingly innovative take on Moniuszko’s Halka. The production premiered at the Theater an der Wien in 2019 to a long standing ovation. The success of the Viennese staging was largely down to the performance delivered by two Polish soloists, Piotr Beczała and Tomasz Konieczny. If you are interested in learning some behind-the-scenes facts about the operatic tour-de-force, come to the meeting with director Mariusz Treliński and hear its straight from the horse’s mouth!
The New York Times called him ‘one of the most important contemporary creators in the field of artistic animation’. Now, you can get a personal insight into his work process. During the Film Marathon, Mariusz Wilczyński will create an animated film live to the accompaniment of Bach’s Cello Suite in B minor and Tadeusz Nalepa’s Prayer performed by cellist Marcel Markowski. Bear in mind that what you will witness is a singular, fully improvised artistic action that will never be reproduced in the future.
Striving to achieve the synthesis of the arts, multimedia artist Adam Dudek straddles disciplines and defies boundaries. His multimedia works have been showcased at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Musikverein Wien, Baltic Opera Gdańsk, and the Warsaw Autumn Festival. He is also a graphic designer and the man behind the Baltic Opera Festival’s visual identity. At the Forest Opera will present his The Face of the Sea, five video episodes to five songs by Romuald Twardowski featuring Tomasz Konieczny and Lech Napierała.
Oscar-nominated Canadian filmmaker Larry Weinstein will serve us more of a sprint than a marathon: nine film miniatures spanning just forty minutes. In his work, the award-winning artist fuses opera, film, music and technology to showcase artistry and shed light on the creative process through the agency of comedic actors or an opera diva. Each of his études is a wonderful display of his distinctive sense of humour.
The Film Marathon is a great choice for all music lovers: the little ones who are just embarking on their operatic adventure and the seasoned connoisseurs. The breathtaking surroundings of the Forest Opera will provide the perfect complement to the films, meetings and performances.
Concept by Paweł Marzec – Director of the Baltic Opera Festival for the Organization of Artistic Work and Impresario
The Film Marathon is held in association with Gutek Film.
The Programme:
6:30–7 p.m. Meeting with Mariusz Treliński
7–9:30 p.m. Opera on the Screen: Stanisław Moniuszko’s Halka directed by Mariusz Treliński, premiere: Theater an der Wien, 2019
9:45-10:30 p.m. Wilkanoc Live performance by Mariusz Wilczyński (animation) and Marcel Markowski (cello)
10:40–11 p.m. Meeting with Adam Dudek
11–1:10 p.m. The Face of the Sea directed by Adam Dudek, 2020
11:20 p.m.– midnight Larry Weinstein’s miniatures: Toothpaste, 2002, Burnt Toast (Traffic Jam, An Argument, The Perfect Moment, Nothing Happens in the Park, Justifiable Homicide, I Am soooo Over You, Forever and Ever, Choo Choo and You Too), 2005
00.10–2:10 a.m. As It Is In Heaven directed by Kay Pollak, 2004
