Personal comedy — 21st Szczecin Film Festival

A unique story about Krzysztof Komeda — an icon of Polish jazz, pianist, composer, whose music won the hearts of listeners all over the world and opened the door to Hollywood for him. However, “Personal Comedy” is more than a biographical film. It is a personal journey into the depths of memories, in which the guide is Tomek Lach — Komeda's stepson. He embarks on a symbolic journey from Warsaw to Ustronia Morski, the place where the artist's musical history began in 1952.

The film, created in a unique found footage technique, combines as many as 67 fragments of archival materials with contemporary photographs, creating a mosaic narrative about a man of blood and bones — artist, stepfather, husband. It is a story not only of music, but also of difficult family relationships, growing up in the shadow of a great creator and building ties with a man full of contradictions and secrets. “Personal Comedy” isn't just a travelogue — it's a poignant journey through time, emotions and sounds that have shaped generations of jazz lovers.

The film is supported by the West Pomeranian Film Fund “Pomerania Film”.

After the screening of the film, there will be a meeting with invited guests.

West Pomeranian Film Fund “Pomerania Film” for the 21st Szczecin Film Festival

The West Pomeranian Film Fund “Pomerania Film” for the 21st Szczecin Film Festival is a permanent feature of the festival program — a long-standing tradition of presenting the Fund's latest productions. ZFF, established in 2009 thanks to the cooperation of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and the cities of Szczecin and Koszalin, can boast the production of more than 140 films and many awards in Poland and in the world. Thanks to the Fund's productions, our region becomes recognizable and attractive in terms of film on the map of Poland. This year, as part of this section, we invite you to the Castle Cinema for a unique screening of the film “Personal Comedy”. This is an unusual, intimate story that touches on the biography and phenomenon of one of the most outstanding composers in the history of Polish cinema, Krzysztof Komeda. The presentation of this title at our festival is proof of how local film initiatives and the West Pomeranian perspective can shed new, fresh light on icons of Polish culture.

An intimate portrait of the legend of Polish jazz and a unique story about Krzysztof Komeda — an icon of the genre, pianist and composer whose music won the hearts of listeners all over the world and opened the door to Hollywood for him. However, “Personal Comedy” is more than just a biographical film. It is a personal journey into the depths of memories, guided by Tomek Lach — Komeda's stepson. He embarks on a symbolic journey from Warsaw to Ustronia Morski — the place where the artist's musical history began in 1952. The film, made in the technique of 'found footage', combines as many as 67 fragments of archival material with contemporary shots, creating a mosaic story about a man of blood and bones — artist, stepfather and husband. This is a story not only about music, but also about difficult family relationships, growing up in the shadow of a great creator and building ties with a man full of contradictions and secrets. “Personal Comedy” is not just a travelogue — it's a moving journey through time, emotions and sounds that have shaped generations of jazz lovers.

Screenwriter, producer and director of documentaries. He has directed several music-themed documentaries, including the award-winning film “Forever Melomani”. He graduated in sociology of culture at the University of Lodz and film production at the Lodz Film School. He works as an academic lecturer (teaches screenwriting) and a producer at the Educational Film Studio (WFO) in Łódź.

21st Szczecin Film Festival at the Zamek Cinema — programme of events

19:00 — 20:30 Lech Majewski Retrospective: MILL AND CROSS — Kino Zamek

17:00 — 18:00 ZFF Pomerania Film at SFF: PERSONAL COMEDY — Kino Zamek

19:00 — 20:45 Lech Majewski Retrospective: GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS — Kino Zamek

17:00 — 19:00 DokumentArt at SFF: Polish-German exchange of art universities — Kino Zamek

19:15 — 21:45 DokumentArt at SFF: German Film in Poland — Kino Zamek

14:30 — 16:30 Crossing Borders. Direction Africa: LAMPART Festival at SFF — Kino Zamek

17:00 — 19:30 European Documentary Film Competition Block 1 — Kino Zamek

20:00 — 22:30 European Documentary Film Competition Block 2 — Kino Zamek

16:30 — 19:00 European Documentary Film Competition Block 3 — Kino Zamek

19:30 — 22:00 European Documentary Film Competition Block 4 — Kino Zamek

16:30 — 19:00 European Documentary Film Competition Block 5 — Kino Zamek

19:30 — 22:00 European Documentary Film Competition Block 6 — Kino Zamek