Acclaimed Polish documentarian Paweł Łoziński finds wonder and wisdom in the everyday from two floors up.

For more than two years, Łoziński pointed a camera at eight square metres of pavement below his Warsaw apartment; rather than venturing out to find a worthy subject, he waited for the world to come to him. The result, The Balcony Movie, documents his observations and interactions with various passers-by. Seasons change, years pass, some neighbourhood characters come to the fore – including Robert, an ex-con, and Zosia, a local cleaning woman – and others move through with barely a word. All the while, Łoziński’s lively questioning draws out engagingly diverse and profound insights on life, work, love and death.

Winner of Locarno 2021’s Semaine de la Critique Grand Prix, this striking, sophisticated documentary has invited comparisons ranging from the one-reel creations of the Lumière brothers to the wry, formalist existentialism of contemporary Swedish master Roy Andersson. The Balcony Movie is a small film with substantial significance – both timely and timeless for an audience by now familiar with the constraints of fixed location.

“Both delightful and existential … Its simplicity is a virtue, demonstrating all we need for a little more human connection is the willingness to listen.” – The Film Stage