Bad Girls. Cela 77

After Polish-born writer-director Janusz Mrozowski, a French resident for the past 30 years, made a series of 30-minute films based on African writings, he was approached by Africans to do a cinematic survey of past events in African history. Filming in Burkina Faso, Mrozowski responded with this comedy about a dictator kidnapped from the present-day and taken back through the mists of time. There he meets the mother of humanity, Lucy, who teaches him the basics of sexual equality. By the time he returns to the present, he's also received an education in 16th-century slave-trading and European influences on Africa.

Tarnów Penitentiary houses inmates posing a serious threat to society or the facility’s security. Damian, a 28-year-old armed bank robber serving a ten-year sentence, is classified as ‘dangerous’ and placed in a separate wing for increased protection. For two weeks, a camera follows Damian, revealing his struggle to survive in isolation and cope with constant surveillance. He grapples with fear, regret, hope, and his uncertain future. A candid conversation with himself and the camera exposes his inner turmoil, doubts, and sensitivity. Damian’s tattooed hands hold a mirror, reflecting our society and ourselves.

Seven repeat offenders are serving sentences of 9, 12, 18, 25 years, in a 15 m² cell. They accepted me into their daily life with my camera. The prison administration gave us 10 days.