The Deal

Stop-motion animation on the arranging of marriages in 1950/60s set in the Eastern-Polish borderland. The script is based on a part of Mikolaj Smyk’s diary — the director’s grandfather. The biographical objects used in the animation, such as an authentic headscarf, Polish and Russian books, the copy of Mikolaj Smyk’s diary and photographs help situate the story in its original environment and express the atmosphere of the times. The director, Ewa Smyk, explains on her website: "The Deal depicts my personal journey of researching through the archives, sometimes referring back to the items I have already been familiar with, trying to remind myself of the personal feelings and memories attached to them. The Deal has been screened at over 30 film festivals all over the world – including the Oscar-qualifying Uppsala ISFF, DOK Leipzig, ISFF Curta Cinema, Cork IFF – and was awarded the Art Direction Prize at the Animage International Animation Festival of Pernambuco in Brazil."