Talking Heads

The strength of this short film lies in its simplicity. A series of characters, whose age increases as the story progresses, take turns answering two questions posed by the director: Who are you? and What is your greatest wish? The first interviewee, born in 1979, remains mute since she is only one year old and cannot yet speak. The last one is 100 years old. She has trouble hearing, but her faltering answer offers a finale as banal as it is beautiful. Between the two, a cycle of life unfolds, as if from the addition of these talking heads a single character is formed. It is worth noting that at the time of the filming, in 1980, Pope John Paul II was about to visit his native Poland. The economic situation was disastrous. Major strikes and shortages, however, led to the creation of "Solidarność," the first free trade union under Soviet rule. In the background, the film addresses the moral, social, and political issues specific to this period. We can feel through the sequence of testimonies, the hope for a better world taking shape before our eyes. The rest of the film belongs to history. In December 1981, the government declared martial law, citing the seriousness of the political and social situation and the risk of Soviet intervention. Strikes were suppressed by force, resulting in several victims. A curfew was imposed and free trade unions were banned.

Pascale Ferland
Filmmaker, teacher and programmer