The Family Friend

In The Family Friend, director Paolo Sorrentino combines the surrealism of David Lynch with the licentiousness pervading the films of Federico Fellini. The wealthy Geremia is a physically repulsive man who harbors bitter resentments against the world. He is an inveterate misanthrope, yet everyone seems to like him – mostly because he is given to lending out some of his wealth. His money dealings bring him into contact with Rosalba, a local beauty who is about to be wed. And it is on the wedding day that the loan shark’s spite and lust are revealed in all their ferocity, causing a series of strange and unexpected consequences – beginning with the young woman’s apparently inexplicable affection for the loathsome lecher.The Family Friend has been specially selected for screening at the 12^th NH by Adam Kruk – this year’s Grand Prix winner at the Krzysztof Mętrak Awards competition for young film critics.

Founded in 1994 by Piotr Łazarkiewicz, the Krzysztof Mętrak Awards competition is dedicated to promoting young talent in the field of film criticism. Of the seventy-eight young film critics who took part in the competition’s 16^th edition, the jury chose Adam Kruk to receive the Grand Prix. Polish Film Institute director Agnieszka Odorowicz is the competition’s director. For the past seven years, the award ceremony has been held at the New Horizons IFF, on 25 July – Krzysztof Mętrak’s ‘name day’. The Prize winner is given the opportunity to present a film and discuss it with the audience. The Polish Film institute is the generous donor of the competition’s monetary awards. Winners of the Grand Prix receive a statuette, designed by acclaimed sculptor Adam Myjak, awarded by the competition organizers, Anna Mętrak and Janusz Zaorski.