Hardcore Disko | Perspektiv Film Club

Loud music, endless parties, big money and young people who live as if tomorrow is not going to be. And in the middle of this world, a mysterious stranger with a plan of revenge.

We invite you to “Hardkor Disko” — the full-length debut of Krzysztof Skonieczny, one of the most expressive and uncompromising Polish independent films of recent years. It is a mesmerizing combination of thriller, psychological drama and cinema experimenting with image and sound that takes viewers on a journey through the dark side of the modern metropolis.

Marcin (Marcin Kowalczyk) arrives in Warsaw — a small talk, withdrawn young man whose past and true intentions remain a mystery. Soon he meets Ola (Jasmina Polak), a girl from a wealthy family, fascinated by the nightlife of the city. Ola introduces him to his world, where successive parties, stimulants, illegal car races and meetings of bohemian bohemians are a way to escape from boredom and everyday life.

Marcin gradually grows closer to the girl and her parents, becoming part of their seemingly carefree life. However, behind his silence and calmness lies something much more disturbing. He did not appear in Warsaw by chance, and his presence in the lives of Ola and her family is an element of carefully planned revenge. As events unfold, the atmosphere becomes more and more stuffy, and the line between fascination, lust and violence begins to blur.

“Hardcore Disko”, however, is not exclusively a story of revenge. It is also a portrait of a generation raised in a world of consumption, unlimited possibilities and constant search for new stimuli, and at the same time a story about the tensions between young people and their parents, who built their position and wealth after the systemic transformation. Konieczny looks at a society in which material success does not necessarily go hand in hand with a sense of meaning, and under the surface of prosperity there is growing frustration, loneliness and anger.

It is a film that tells as much with the image and music as with the plot itself. Dynamic editing, intense club sounds, contrasting muted scenes and evocative photographs by Kacpr Fertacz create a characteristic, almost trance rhythm. Skonieczny, previously known primarily as the creator of music videos for artists such as Brodka, Nosowska or Dorota Masłowska performing as Mister D., transfers his expressive aesthetics to feature films, combining inspirations from alternative culture, visual arts and European author's cinema.

The main roles are played by Marcin Kowalczyk, known among others for the film “You are God”, and Jasmina Polak, for whom “Hardkor Disko” was her debut on the big screen. They are accompanied by Agnieszka Wosińska and Janusz Chabior, who play Ola's parents. The film was created outside the traditional financing system of Polish cinematography, as part of an independent creative initiative GłębokiOFF, and in 2014 it was presented in the Main Competition of the Festival of Polish Feature Films in Gdynia. Although more than a dozen years have passed since its premiere, “Hardkor Disko” can still surprise with its form, energy and way of presenting metropolitan reality. It is cinema that deliberately provokes, escapes simple judgments and leaves the viewer space for his own interpretation.

After the screening, we invite you to a discussion led by Błażej Grabowski. We will talk about Krzysztof Skonieczny's cinematic language, intergenerational relations, the image of Polish society after the transformation and whether the rebellion depicted in the film is a real opposition to the existing order or just another form of self-destruction. We will also look at how music, painting and editing affect our emotions and interpretation of history.

Is “Hardkor Disko” an accurate diagnosis of a generation, a provocative satire on modern society or, above all, a daring film experiment? Let's find out together!

12 November, 18:00, Centre Kultury Nowy Pafawag. Tickets: PLN 15

We invite all cinema lovers who like to explore non-obvious films, learn new cinematic perspectives and share their interpretations. Come to the screening and stay with us for an interview!