The father-to-be Filip decides to buy an 8mm film camera to record the growth of his child. What starts with this simple decision soon develops into a passion that will fundamentally change his life. In the beginning he still focuses on his wife and his newborn child before his visual curiosity spreads to his entire living world. In doing so, he has to operate in the tension between art and family and be able to live with all the consequences. As he immerses himself further and further into the world of film, he repeatedly comes into conflict with the communist authorities in Poland of the 1970s and has to ask himself the question how much it is worth to depict the ” Truth”.
Through the lens of his camera Filip begins to see the world in a new way. His curious and naive gaze highlights images that are both commonplace and impressive. His cinematography follows movement and thus tries to understand what life is all about. Amator impresses with a minimalist portrayal style and explores what the medium of film can accomplish.
Vanessa Loretan
Translated by Carlos Hartmann
