At the beginning of the twentieth century, musical theatre became increasingly popular with audiences who demanded light relief from the socio-political issues leading up to, and during, World War I. With the advent of ‘talkies’ in the 1920s, musicals made the logical transition onto the big screen. This move opened the medium up to a much wider range of artistic voices, some of whom used it to tackle more serious issues. Other People feels like a logical progression.
Kamil (Jacek Beler) has set his hopes on becoming a famous rapper. He dreams of being able to record his first album but no one else has faith in his abilities, even his social media obsessed girlfriend Aneta (Magdalena Kolesnik). After helping to fix a rich woman, Iwona’s (Sonia Bohosiewicz), toilet, she takes a shine to him. Their unhappy lives collide in relationships which have more to do with convenience than love.
Other People is an ambitious project which tackles the mundanity and ennui of daily life in a cold and heartless Warsaw. As the denizens of this virtual prison go about their lives, they share their thoughts and wisdom to the flow of a hip-hop beat. This rap element makes Aleksandra Terpinska’s first feature pretty unique and allows for a slightly different form of expression. Other People works well and provides a calling card for a confident and inventive new voice.
Other People screened at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
