Places of Transformation

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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he transformation processes that began with strikes at the Gdańsk Shipyard, the demolition of the Berlin Wall and rallies held on Kiev’s Majdan Square convert the images of the cities of Central and Eastern Europe. Skyscrapers were built in the centres, supermarkets were created in the suburbs, but other districts left to their own devices fell into degradation and exclusion. Łukasz Konopa’s film depicts the revitalisation processes of urban spaces of Kiev, Gdańsk, Berlin and Cieszyn. Today, artists are invited to these places. The art is supposed to become a vital tool transforming the perception of public space and strengthening social movements. However, a question can be raised how to avert the gentrification of districts being revitalised through art.

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Places of Transformation

documentary film, written and directed by Łukasz Konopa; artistic patronage: Artur Żmijewski; cinematography: Weronika Tofilska, Łukasz Konopa, Krzysztof Trojnar, Rafał Żurek; edited by Leszek Molski; produced by “Krytyka Polityczna” (Marcin Chałupka, Katarzyna Fidos, Maria Klaman); running time: 45 min; Poland 2011.

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Łukasz Konopa – graduated in sociology at the University of Warsaw and in cinematography at the University of Silesia in Katowice, he studies documentary cinematography at National Film and Television School. Director of photography for Artur Żmijewski’s films “Katastrofa” (“Catastrophe”), “KDT” (part of the Democracies series), “Świecie 2009”. Author of the following films: “Ukryci” (as a part of a MA thesis written at the University of Warsaw under the guidance of Professor Joanna Tokarska-Bakir), “Moje dwadzieścia okrążeń”, “Chorzy i potrzebujący”, “Wizyta”, “Oko” (film etudes realised at the Faculty of Radio and Television at the University of Silesia in Katowice). Second director of Jakub Czekaj’s film “Ciemnego pokoju nie trzeba się bać”.