‘Timeless only showcases classics, right?’ Not quite! As promised, we will combine water and fire, presenting the canon, but also negotiating a place for new filmmakers. And today, we’re delivering on that promise. Dear cinema lovers, in a single word: Hamaguchi!
In collaboration with our partner Gutek Film, we invite you to the Polish premiere of two of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s latest works: Evil Does Not Exist (Aku wa sonzai shinai, Japan, 2023, distributed in Poland by Gutek Film), winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, and the GIFT project. Evil Does Not Exist showcases Hamaguchi’s unwavering creativity, following his Oscar triumph with Drive My Car and the warm reception of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy at the Berlinale. This fully soundtracked, feature-length film with dialogue originated from the silent GIFT, is a visual interpretation of the music by Japanese multi-instrumentalist Eiko Ishibashi. Exploring the profound relationship between humanity and the natural world, revealing the evocative power of sound to evoke new layers of sensation and emotion.
The uniqueness of the GIFT project is highlighted by the fact that it is presented exclusively with live music, performed by its creator, Eiko Ishibashi. And that’s exactly how you will be able to see (and hear!) GIFT on April 11th at the POLIN Museum during Timeless Film Festival Warsaw.
On the other hand, Evil Does Not Exist changes optics: from a silent film to a sound film, transitioning from a contemporary experiment to an organic narrative.
It’s a feast for fans of Hamaguchi’s work—a wintry ballad, a poignant ecological manifesto, and a beleaguering thriller all rolled into one. The story follows the tracks reflected in the snow to its destination: slowly, carefully, with the experience of a seasoned tracker. In Evil Does Not Exist, the innocence of animals in Bambi meet Axiliad, all set to the hypnotic, magnetic, and unsettling music of Eiko Ishibashi. Hamaguchi deftly touches on pressing issues of our time: the delicate balance between humanity and nature, the clash between corporate interests and local communities, the desire for solitude juxtaposed with the compulsion to engage in the rat race.
The GIFT project with Eiko Ishibashi’s accompaniment, presented at Timeless Film Festival Warsaw, is part of a unique series of film concerts in which artists present their own compositions, often written specifically for the festival. The POLIN Museum and the National Philharmonic will also feature Wim Mertens, Sinfonia Varsovia performing Paweł Mykietyn’s music for the film Eo, as well as symphonies by Stefan Wesołowski, Ellen Arkbro, Dobrawa Czocher, Jozef Van Wissem, or the XYLOS and Małe Instrumenty ensembles.
Gutek Film is a partner of the screening.
February 28, 2024 – Sale of passes and accreditation begins
March 6, 2024 – Announcement of the complete festival program
March 13, 2024 – Start of online sales of tickets for screenings
partner of the screening
