Experiencing Interruptions?

Piasta Jozef from Posada

'Piasta Jozef from Posada' comes from the series 'Last Object' which is a collection of portraits of old people who live in a rural area in central Poland. We do not see them in the film but we can hear their voices, see objects they used in their past and objects they use now.
In this particular film we meet Mr Piasta Jozef at his house. He recalls from the past how he made shoes and what tools he used.

  • Piotr Piasta
    Director
  • Michal Siczek
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Video Art, Short Documentry, Art Film, Experimental, Portrait
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2014
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Poland
  • Language:
    Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • "Portrait" exhibition at CICA MUSEUM
    Gimpo
    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
    January 27, 2017
  • Family Film Project
    Teatro Carlos Alberto in Porto, Portugal.
    December 12, 2015
  • "Still Lifes" exhibition at MOK Gallery in Olsztyn, Poland
    Mok Gallery in Olsztyn Poland
    May 23, 2014
Director Biography - Piotr Piasta

Piotr Piasta is a visual artist and independent documentary filmmaker. He was born in 1981 in Brudnow village, Wieniawa district, Poland, where he currently lives and works. His artwork explores themes of history, time and memory often within a rural context and he is particularly interested in ageing within rural communities and the stories and memories of older people in these communities.
He is a co-author of a documentary film 'Happened Here', screened during Holocaust Memorial Day in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK (2011). In 2012 after 10 month residency at Library and Cultural Centre in Wieniawa, he directed film 'Songs Poems Rituals', which had its premiere in the Museum of Oskar Kolberg in Przysucha, Poland (May 2013). Since 2014 he has been working on 'Last Object' series of videos which is a collection of portraits of old people who live in a rural areas in central Poland. Films from this series were shown during 'Filmideo 2014' at Index Art Center in Newark; exhibited during 6th namaTREba Biennial in Trebinje as well as at ArtvideoKOELN at TENRI – German-Japanese Cultural Centre in Cologne; ProxyAct Festival in London; Harvest Film Festival at Open School East in London, where one of the films - 'Piorun Stanislaw from Brudnow' won 2nd prize in the category of experimental/artist films.

He was Berwick Visual Arts artist in residence in partnership with the Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University between October 2014 and March 2015. As a result of that he released a series of short films - 'The Realm of Forgotten Existence' exhibited in Granary Gallery in Berwick with patronate of Polish Culture Institute in London (May 2015). Films from the series were shown in such festivals as: 10° Streaming Festival in Milan; CÓDEC/Festival de Vídeo y Creaciones Sonoras in Mexico City; IntimaLente Visual Ethnographic Film Festival in Maddaloni; XpoNorth Creative Industries Festival in Inverness, Scotland; Hackney Attic Film Festival in London; Szczecin European Film Festival in Szczecin; inSPIRACJE 2017 / Breathtaking, group exhibition at TRAFO Center for Contemporary Art, Szczecin (2nd prize).

Portfolio: http://piotrpiasta.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“Every man's memory is his private literature.”
― Aldous Huxley

In my artistic practise I draw ideas from phenomenological philosophy and focus on individuals and their stories in the belief that everyone has their own unique story which in a poetic way transcends the understanding of life in general.
I use the medium of film and photography as a tool to research and exploration. I gather my own data to determine the essential properties of the intentional object.
Working with people, in particular with elderly is hugely important and inspiring for me. I have deep respect and sentiment for ageing people. I am moved by simple conversation with them which make me realize that they are at the end of their journey and this perspective brings upon me a state of constant wonder.
I am impressed by how they can look at the present, through their experience and knowledge. I am fascinated by their memories of the past and how they can speak about the old days and their childhood as if it happened yesterday.
I know from my previous experience, that elderly people often like to speak about their stories repetitively and it often happens that closest relatives don't want to listen to them again and again. I can listen and observe, my camera can register it, I can edit it and transform it into a new narrative. This is a win-win situation, it is a story for a story, it’s turning a personal contact into a new visual experience.

I am inspired and influenced by works of Fiona Tan, by films of Bela Tarr, Carlos Reygadas. I love the cinematographer of Terrence Malick's films Emmanuel Lubezki.

Piotr Piasta
2015