Private Project

Carte Blanche

Inspired by an incredible true story "Carte Blanche" is a feel-good movie about a high school history teacher who – fearing he might lose his job and dignity – decides to hide the fact that he’s losing his sight.

  • Jacek Lusiński
    Director
    Pixels
  • Jacek Lusiński
    Writer
    Pixels
  • Leszek Bodzak
    Producer
  • Andrzej Chyra
    Key Cast
    11 Minutes, The Word, In the Name of, Elles, All That I Love, Katyn
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 46 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 22, 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
  • Shanghai International Film Festival
    Shanghai
    Asian Premiere
    Jury Grand Prix
Director Biography - Jacek Lusiński

Jacek Lusiński was born on 30th April 1960 in Lodz. He graduated from the Faculty of Film Directing at the famous Film School in Lodz. He is a Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
Director, scriptwriter, songwriter. His portfolio includes adaptations for theatre, commercials and documentaries (“September 39") and his debut feature “The Pixels” (2009).
Finalist of SCRIPT PRO 2012 – the most prestigious screenwriting competition in Poland.
"Carte Blanche" is his second feature film.

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Director Statement

The article I once came across was very intriguing “Lublin teacher in fear of losing his job hides his disease”. I went looking for him, then began to observe his life. I witnessed the lectures he gave, his personal get-togethers and everyday struggles. Within few months I felt ready to sit down and write it all down.
The world didn’t seem to need another story about people suffering from a whole variety of diseases but in “Carte Blanche” it is not a sickness nor a handicap that’s the main theme. What caught my attention was the process that goes on inside a man; when the only world he knows begins to disappear and has to be replaced with a new one.
Despite the main character’s complicated fate, I wanted the film to be filled with optimism and leave the viewer filled with hope. There are, of course, no sudden healings or miracles, but there is something far more important – a belief that the loss of current reality does not equal a loss of meaning. Perhaps a loss can serve as an opportunity to find a new direction in life? It depends on us and what we discover inside ourselves, whether we manage to find a way and take a chance on the new and unwritten carte blanche.
Maciej Białek, the original Kacper, still teaches in a Lublin High School and is highly respected and loved by his students.