Polish cinematographer honoured at Sundance Festival

Image: Lasting, Sundance Festival - press materials

Englert was honoured for his work on Lasting (Nieulotne), director Jacek Borcuch's latest movie, which was showing in the festival's international features competition (World Dramatic).

Shot in Valencia, the movie explores the plight of two young Poles who fall in love while on a holiday job in Spain, but whose happiness is jeopardized by a sudden crisis.

Lasting is an emotional love story about Michał and Karina, a pair of Polish students who meet and fall in love with each other while working in Spain during the summer.

An unexpected nightmare brutally breaks into their carefree time in the heavenly landscape and throws their lives into chaos.

Thirty seven year-old Maciej Englert has served as director of cinematography on several highly-acclaimed features, including Boruch’s All that I Love and Malgosia Szumowska’s Elles and In the Name of…

The award marks the second Polish success at the festival. Earlier last week, director Grzegorz Zariczny won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize for his documentary The Whistle (Gwizdek).

Meanwhile, the top gong went to US director Ryan Coogler, whose film Fruitvale scooped the Grand Jury Prize.

Coogler's movie is based on the real-life story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African American who was shot dead by the police in Oakland, California on New Year's Day in 2009. (nh/mk)