The monotonous ploughing of fields ripping furrows of black earth as cows are being milked depicts the rigours and simplicity of rural life. Ageing parents are visited by a son who has made a life for himself in the city. We are shown the simplistic, coarse physiognomy of the characters and close ups provide details of the almost abstract ‘topography’ of their calloused hands. Czekała often caused surprise by his choice of theme, he created tension in the brutality of the form and the gentleness of the message. A similar example of his work is the award-winning animated film Apel which illustrates a roll call in a concentration camp. Both films are masterful examples of using cutouts. The raw black and white forms are operated by the visible texture of paper and the effects of a subtle laver of ink. Deprived of music or dialogue but rich with natural sounds, Czekała’s films still touch on a spectrum of emotions. His characters appear alive and real as if appearing in a documentary. Unsurprisingly, Czekała later turned his interest to feature film so as to further explore his interest in socially orientated cinema.

Elżbieta Wysocka