The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) is an annual festival organised by the EU Delegation and Member States that features award-winning films from European Union countries and Ukraine.

The 29th edition of the festival expands beyond Delhi, with new chapters in Kolkata and Hyderabad, and features 26 award-winning films in over 31 languages.

This year, the Polish Institute with EU Delegation presented “Dangerous Gentlemen”, a film directed by Maciej Kawalski.

“Dangerous Gentlemen” (2022, 107 min) is a gritty drama that explores themes of masculinity, violence, and the complexities of human relationships. Set against a backdrop of social unrest and personal turmoil, the story follows characters grappling with their identities and choices in a world filled with danger and moral ambiguity.

While it is a crime story, it is also a comedy. The film is based on four real life characters, who belonged to a group called the Zakopane bohemians; a group of artists, writers, and intellectuals who gathered in Zakopane. Their work contributed to the local arts scene and the development of modernist movements in Poland.

Joseph Conrad is one of the main and captivating characters in the movie. Known for his mysterious past and unpredictable nature, Conrad adds an intriguing dynamic to the storyline. The second one is Bronisław Malinowski (1884–1942), who was a pioneering Polish anthropologist, often regarded as one of the founding figures of modern social anthropology. Witkacy (1885-1939), the third one, is one of Poland’s most important, mysterious and controversial artists. Recognized as much for his wild bohemian temperament as for his countless publications, paintings, photos, and plays, such as the famous and controversial “Schoemakers”. Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński (1874 – 1941), fourth one, was a prominent Polish writer, translator, and public intellectual, best known for his literary and cultural criticism, as well as for his work as a translator of French literature into Polish.

The film was screened on November 9, 2024, at the Instituto Cervantes New Delhi. 

To read Murtaza Ali Khan’s latest article based on the 29th edition of the European Union Film Festival (EUFF 2024) in The Sunday Guardian, tap on the link below: https://sundayguardianlive.com/featured/eu-film-festival-in-delhi-brings-europe-closer-to-indiafbclid=IwY2xjawGisSRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHT5_5vvg5wBwHl51uqUt2e4JwLKQMwoRvDaaOBUO6Gkhp7CH6gOmF4uDSQ_aem_6mUnzhiIKBK1dxQYbrtavw