“Under the Volcano”. Lizut: a “crazy delicate” film, touches on “the most difficult topics”

The Oscar committee appointed by the director of the Polish Film Institute Karolina Rozwód decided on Wednesday that the Polish candidate for Oscar in the category of best international film in 2025 will be “Under the Volcano” by Damian Kocur. On behalf of the committee, the verdict was read by Grażyna Torbicka, its member.

“Under the Volcano” – as assessed by the committee – “portrays the situation of a Ukrainian family that is caught outside the country by the outbreak of a full-scale war”. “The state of surprise, uncertainty and confusion intensifies family conflicts. A private drama becomes a universal image of people entangled against their will in big politics. The film, made in an ascetic form, touches on the most difficult topics of modern times: war and migration, leaving viewers with the feeling that each of us could find ourselves under an awakening volcano” – we read in the Oscar committee's verdict.

READ MORE: “UNDER THE VOLCANO” BY DAMIAN KOCURA, POLISH CANDIDATE FOR AN OSCAR

The latest film directed by Damian Kocur had its world premiere premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festivalwhich ended last Sunday. It is one of the so-called Big Five festivals, along with the Sundance Film Festival, the Berlinale, the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival.

Damian Kocur's feature debut “Chleb i sól” received, among others, the Special Jury Prize of the Orizzonti section of the Venice IFF in 2022. In 2023, “Jak ce buło” co-directed by Kocur (together with Anastasia Solonevych) was nominated for the Palme d'Or in the short film competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

– I am shocked, overjoyed. I guess it still hasn't sunk in. I don't know what to think about it at all. It's the first time in my life that I've been in such a situation. It's a pity that I didn't ask someone what I should actually feel. Someone who has already gone down this path – Mikołaj Lizut, the film's producer and second director, confessed in an interview with tvn24.pl after the press conference.

Lizut noted that Kocur's story was “very well received in Toronto”. – This very original statement by Damian Kocur is extremely inclusive and universal. It seems to me that a modern European or American can easily identify with the characters in “Under the Volcano”. There are people like us who go from tourists to refugees overnight, or at least cannot return to their home in Kiev, where the war has just begun – said the journalist and filmmaker.

– At the same time, it is an extremely delicate film that has nothing in it to do with pedagogy. It is a wonderfully told drama – he added.

“Under the Volcano” is Kocur's second film project, on which the director collaborated with Lizut. Previously, the filmmaker was a co-producer of “Jak ce buło”. – Damian and I are friends. I greatly appreciate his sensitivity, his uncompromising nature – said Lizut.

On the set of “Under the Volcano”, Lizut made his debut as the second director, which in his opinion is “very hard work, especially if you are also the producer” of the whole thing. – Now I understand all those colleagues who do this difficult and beautiful film profession. I understand even more the challenges they have to face – he assessed.

The new director of the Polish Film Institute, Karolina Rozwód, made her debut in the Oscar committee this year. She was appointed to this position on July 1. In April this year, the then Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bartholomew Sienkiewicz dismissed Radosław Śmigulski from his position as director of the Polish Film Institute. Explaining the reasons for his dismissal, Sienkiewicz mentioned the “unreliable settlement of funds”. The application regarding the suspicion of Śmigulski committing a crime was submitted to the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office in May of this year.

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The head of PISF admitted in an interview with tvn24.pl that this was not only her debut in the Oscar committee, but that her appointment was “the first decision made” after taking up the position. – On my first day at work, I learned that we should establish the Oscar committee as soon as possible. Choosing the Polish Oscar candidate is therefore a process that has accompanied me since my first day at the Polish Film Institute – she explained.

Rozwodni emphasized that she cannot reveal details about how the committee chose Kocur's film. – All members of the committee watched all the films – there were ten of them – and after the debate we chose the film “Under the Volcano” – she added.

– All the behind-the-scenes discussions regarding the debate will remain within the committee, she said.

In recent years, PISF has financially supported, among other things, the Oscar candidate submitted by Poland, mainly as part of a promotional campaign, so that the film could reach as many members of the Film Academy as possible. Will it be the same this year? – This will be the subject of our talks, because first an application must be received from the film's producers, including a promotion plan. First, we need to familiarize ourselves with how the producers plan this promotion – Rozwód explained.

The head of the institute pointed out that there are no contraindications to the PISF providing financial support to producers of titles that will be submitted to the Academy in other categories, such as best documentary or in the categories of animated and short films. – Producers of films other than “Under the Volcano” can also submit an application to the institute – she added. The PISF director said that the institute's budget “has secured money” for possible support of the Oscar campaign of Polish productions, but she did not reveal the amount.

In her opinion, does “Under the Volcano” have a chance of being nominated? – We believe so – she assessed.

According to the calendar announced by the Film Academy, individual countries and dependent territories can submit their candidates for the best international film category until October 2. However, with each passing day, the list of films that have already been submitted is getting longer. Among them are very high-profile titles, awarded at the most important film events in the world. This means that “Under the Volcano” faces a difficult path to nomination.

The list already includes, among others:

The 2025 Oscars will be presented on March 2 next year in Los Angeles. On January 17, 2025, we will learn the list of nominees for the Awards of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. On December 17 of this year, the first so-called shortlists of titles and names will be announced, from which the nominees will be selected. At that time, we will also learn the shortlist of titles with a chance of being nominated in the category of best international film.