– Under the pretext of dissecting the process of filming, Polish director Maciej Cuske’s sensitive documentary actually invites us to dive into the inner workings of friendship and growing up
In navigating our way through life, we are all inevitably “candidates of death”, and consciously or not, Maciej Cuske tries to capture the ephemeral texture of the magnificent journey leading up to it through the innocent chronicles of some summer holidays in the midst of nature with his son and two of his friends. Actually, it’s not that innocent at first glance, since they all officially gather to shoot the next episode of Candidates of Death, an amateur horror being crafted throughout these carefree days mostly for the sake of fun and male bonding. Thus, the present Candidates of Death [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – a documentary currently locking horns in the International Competition of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival – emerges as an improvised making-of in which the shooting process is less important than the evolution of the human relationships around it; it is a film about a film that will keep evolving alongside the desire of this group of friends and their mentor to come up with mutually enriching adventures.
At first, it is somewhat difficult to keep track of who’s who among Maciej’s son, Stasiu, and the other kids, Rafał and Adrian, because throughout the 17-year-long retrospective, we are led through batches of archival footage from the shooting of previous instalments, in which they appear at different ages, and sporting different outfits and hairstyles. But gradually, a certain internal logic and a deepening focus begin to assemble the pieces into a discernible plot, as their personal profiles start to take shape through jokes, reflections on life choices and more serious, intimate conversations. It also takes time for both the film’s narrative and its protagonists to arrive at the essence of their filming quest, which, as they grow older and take on more responsibilities, becomes more and more an escapist respite from the daily rush from one task to another, in a race against (never enough) time. There, in the camper van or out in the wilds of nature – amidst the sunshine, the greenery, the mist or the wind – their minds seem to clear, allowing them to step away from their routine and glimpse what truly matters. The more the boys realise that their joint summertime escapades in different corners of Poland are a way to safeguard their friendship, a space for reflection and a step towards maturity, the more the father and mentor, Maciej, understands that they are also his direct connection to youth, as well as a form of armour to steel himself against the old age gradually creeping in. He also comprehends that it is in no one’s interest to shoot the final episode, which has quietly turned into a metaphor for passing through life.
DoP Tomasz Pawlik’s presence within this small, tight-knit group is delicate enough to enable them to break the “fourth wall”, as he remains invisible while placing us among them as both insiders and detached observers. He captures the moods of the characters alongside those of the surrounding nature, creating an aesthetic harmony in the imagery, allowing each frame to breathe in sync with the emotional tone. In this sense, once we are drawn into the interplay between the characters – and between the film itself and the audience – Candidates of Death unfolds in a single breath, in the end leaving us with more affective resonance than philosophical reflection.
Candidates of Death was produced by Poland’s Bydgoszcz Film Chronicle Foundation.
