Best Directing

Dog Days Are Over

by Kinga Pudełek
Łódź Film School, Poland

Jury Motivation by Adam Balazs

A director’s role in creating a motion picture is the cornerstone of its production. As the ultimate decision-maker, a director faces countless choices and crossroads that can either bring a vision to its intended destination or lead it astray. A truly exceptional director embodies what all leaders should strive to be: intentional, decisive, compassionate, open-minded, and deeply understanding. The film chosen by the Jury for this year’s Directing Award displays remarkable skill in guiding actors, making powerful use of a strong script, and masterfully handling the story’s visual, auditory, and technical dimensions. Through sharp, impactful close-ups, the film reveals the intimacy and vulnerability of its characters, portrayed by outstanding actors. Emotions surface—or deliberately stay hidden—in subtle pauses, glimpses, gestures, and half-spoken sentences. In depicting loss on both a physical and metaphorical level, while exploring empathy and self-discovery, this film leaves a lasting impression on its audience.

Synopsis

The morning visit from a downstairs neighbour and his atypical request, take the main character on a journey down the memory lane of a lost relationship.

Director's biography

Kinga Pudełek graduated Łódź Film School’s film direction in 2023. She’s an author of short, feature, and documentary films. Her short film ‘Big Phat Party’ was awarded the Shortlist winner during the New Horizons film festival in Wroclaw in 2022. Since then, the film was projected at many film festivals in Poland and Europe. She’s a co-director of a musical theatre show “Przesilenia” that was awarded the Grand Prix prize during the Student Theatre Spring Festival in Lublin in 2022. She’s also a photographer working both with film and digital mediums, an author of music videos, and is deeply passionate about street art.

Credits

Director: Kinga Pudełek
Screenplay: Maciek Bogdański
Cinematography: Ignacy Cszewsky
Editing: Olga Bejm
Music: Mihal Lejczak

Specifications

Original title: Pies pogrzebany
Running time: 23'
Film type: Fiction
Country: Poland
Completion date: January 2024