"HORSE RIDERS" WIN THE GRAND PRIX IN IRELAND
The documentary film by Anna Gawlita was chosen as the best short film at this year's Cork Film Festival.
The Cork Film Festival is eleven days during which the local, national and international cinema is celebrated. In the programme, there are Irish feature films and international documentary and short films. The festival is also accompanied by the industry meetings Industry Days.
The award-winning "Horse Riders" is set in a certain village near Opole. The Easter Sunday is celebrated. People gather in front of the church, but horses also crowd here. This is a traditional element of celebrating the holidays, which consist of prayers, a tour of the nearby buildings on horseback and passionate singing under the influence of alcohol. Enigmatic editing and black and white cinematography capture the solemn atmosphere of the celebration, in which the sacred joins the profane in a weird chase. It is held under the patronage of a small statue of the Resurrected Christ. The ceremony of Krzyżoki (Horse Riders), celebrated in this way, is a custom typical for the south of Poland. During the thirty-five-kilometre long route, the inhabitants pray and sing religious songs. During the stops, they rest, eat and drink vodka. Fatigue and alcohol intoxication are mixed with religious rapture. The sacred and the profane.
This year's edition of the Cork Film Festival was held from the 7th to the 17th of November.
You can find more information about the festival on its website.