80' 2019 Poland director: Wojtek Jankowski cinematography: Wojtek Jankowski editing: Marcin Grabowicz, Wojtek Jankowski production: Wojtek Jankowski
There is probably no symbol in contemporary Poland as socially divisive as the ancient sign of the covenant and harmony: the rainbow. When Julita Wójcik created her rainbow art installation, she was aware of its many meanings and connotations—all positive. Soon, however, when her colorful present for a beleaguered society—with its unifying intentions—appeared on one of the Warsaw’s squares, it turned out that the gift was unacceptable to some. In Warsaw, the Rainbow, unequivocally interpreted as an LGBT symbol, was burned down seven times. Those unwilling to accept this symbolic violence have come to love it all the more. Numerous similar stories throughout Poland with references to the famous installation have also been filled with tension. In this cinematic story told by Wojtek Jankowski, the literal and figurative—concrete social observation and metaphor—are inseparably linked with a rarely seen power of expression.
