PRZYNOSZĘ CI DZIKOŚĆ
SOWING THE SEEDS OF THE WILD
Trailer
The environmental catastrophe of 2022, in which half of the Oder's fish population was killed by toxic algae, dramatically demonstrated how endangered many rivers are. Toxic wastewater, long periods of drought, and measures such as riverbank straightening are disrupting the balance of these otherwise highly resilient ecosystems. After a period of shock, musician Michal Zygmunt, whose compositions are strongly inspired by the rhythms and sounds of the Oder, sets out on a journey in an old boat. To the backdrop of a blossoming spring, he spends a month travelling through an entire network of river channels and finally the Oder itself, experiencing both the aftermath of the destruction and a striking vibrancy. The film immerses the audience in fascinating images of the river, its landscapes, and the wildlife that inhabit it.
The journey is simultaneously a symbolic act, intended to raise awareness of the Oder's plight, and also a personal exploration. Zygmunt wants to ascertain for himself how his beloved river is faring. He immerses himself with all his senses, quietly spends time in nature, observes, listens, and experiences himself as a deeply connected part of the whole. This experience shifts his perspective on humanity's position in nature. Radical ideas emerge that would grant rivers equal rights and enable them to enjoy a rewilded, healthier future – in a manner akin to I Am The River, The River Is Me, a film recently released in New Zealand, in which a Maori river warden describes how the Whanganui River was the first river on earth to be granted legal personhood.
Text: Susanne Stern
Thu 06.11. I 15:00 I GLAD-HOUSE I original version with English subtitles
Fri 07.11. I 13:00 I OBENKINO I original version with English subtitles
Dyba Lach
Marcin Kusmierczyk
Szymon Sutor
Michal Zygmunt, Dominik Wichman, Ewa Drewniak, Karina Zygmunt
Dyba Lach - Dyba Lach is a reporter, documentary filmmaker, and transmedia storyteller. She is a co-author of two photo books: "Stigma" and "How to Rejuvenate an Eagle".
She worked as an assistant director on the film "The Day I Found a Girl in a Trash" (dir. Michał Krzywicki, 2021) and as an assistant producer on the international co-production "Catalina" (dir. Denijal Hasanović, 2017).
Together with Adam Lach, she co-creates the artistic-documentary duo Dyba&Lach. In 2022, they produced a short documentary film for the American Federation of Teachers about Randi Weingarten's trip to Ukraine, the head of the largest teachers' union in the United States. The film was presented at the White House and Congress, and its fragments were broadcast on major American television stations, including CNN, ABC, and NBC.
In her creative work, she combines documentary material with transmedia expression, addressing social, identity, and environmental themes.
"Sowing the Seeds of the Wild" is her full-length documentary film debut.
