FILIP

Poland, 2022, 125 minutes, Colour.

Eryk Kulm, Victor Mertelet, Caroline Hartig, Zoe Straub.

Directed by Michael Kwiecinski.

Filip is yet another World War II story, but a story with a difference. It is based on an autobiographical novel.

This is a Polish film and it opens in 1941 and the Warsaw ghetto, the Jews herded together but surviving, dramatised by the music hall sequence, enthusiastic singing, and excited audience, with a sudden invasion, shooting, many dead, including the fiancee of the central character. The audience is left with this atrocity and emotional response.

There is an immediate transition to Frankfurt in 1944. Filip is now a waiter in the Park Hotel, along with a number of other foreigners who have been accepted as workers in Germany. They have a Polish liaison who is able to get the documentation and keep them in work – though, it is shown that there is great pressure on him and he eventually takes his life.

While there is talk of war, especially the women whose fathers, husbands and sons are away on the front, life seems to be ordinary in Frankfurt. The hotel is functioning even if there is some rationing. The audience sees the life of hotel, the work of the waiters, the rather poor accommodation, the friendships they have developed. But, there is something different with many of the waiters – sexual liaisons with the German women, and some men.

Filip seems to have changed since his Warsaw days, keeping fit with continued exercise, doing his job, making friends, but, the audience soon realises, Filip taking advantage of his situation to wreak some revenge on the Germans, especially in seducing and humiliating women. He and his friends go to the swimming pool, tantalise women, begin some affairs but Filip humiliating the women, especially a young woman about whom he makes a bet that he can seduce her and turn her into a prostitute.

However, all is not easy, some of the waiters are found out, humiliated, shot. And, by contrast, Filip is attracted to the young woman he intends to humiliate, keeps meeting her, conversations, falling in love and she with him. They plan to leave for Paris – but the situation is changed because of aerial bombardments of Frankfurt.

The film turns grim, the preparation for a lavish wedding at the hotel, the return of a Polish woman to the hotel with whom Filip had a relationship, her head being cut because of her relationship with the Germans. And, his close friend, Pierre, is also humiliated. Then the film turns rather more desperate than anticipated, Filip breaking down at the death of Pierre, telling everyone that he is Jewish and Polish, the officials choosing not to believe him but that he is overcome with grief. There is a most powerful sequence with Filip groaning his grief. He gets her gun, shoots of the guests at the wedding, makes his escape to the railway station, confronts the girl and denies any love for her, telling her of his bet. He then descends the stairs to go to the train for Paris.

A grim reminder of the reality of war – but even more of the effect of war and brutality on individuals.

1. A different World War II story, Polish perspective, German perspective? Based on an autobiographical novel?
2. The tone with the opening in Poland, the Jews in the ghetto, the celebration, the singing, the audience, with the stars and Jewish indications? The German attack, opening fire, the brutality of the deaths? Filip in this context, his relationship with Sara, the family, grief at her death?
3. The transition to Frankfurt, 1944, the city, the streets and buildings, the Park Hotel, the interiors, dining area, kitchen, rooms for the staff? Atmosphere? The musical score?
4. The story of Filip, his age, Polish background, Jewish background, pride in his heritage, the death of his family, the death of Sara? His work at the hotel, the group of waiters, the range of staff, the foreigners, allowed to work? The rooms? Their freedom? The contact with Staszek, his keeping the group in work, the documentation, his own attitudes, drinking, depression, killing himself? The precarious lives of the waiters? But their being available for sexual encounters with the German women?
5. Filip, his moving to Frankfurt, his French name, speaking French with the waiters, ability to speak German? He encounters with the women, the wives, brutality, the woman at the swimming pool picking him up, wanting to speak in Polish, his derogatory comments, his humiliating her? His revenge in humiliating the women? The relationship with Blanka, her Polish background, with the other men, with the German official, returning, depending on Filip, on Pierre, her head being shaved? Pierre supplying the wine, Filip bringing it to her?
6. The bonds between the waiters, the details of their service, the head waiter and treating them like his troops? The differing personalities, the young waiter and Filip supporting him, Francesco, Italian, with the women, his being taken, insulted, shot? Pierre, with the women, with the officer? His support of Filip?
7. Filip, the frequent scenes of his exercise? His swimming, pursuing the women? The encounter with his schoolmates, her German background, taunting him, his silence, her request to keep the room, the consequences?
8. Observing Lisa, the bet with Pierre, in the water, her disdain, pursuing her? Her age, work in photography, the sketches, Filip pursuing her, her falling in love, the outings, the time together, the sexual encounter, Filip loving her, the dangerous situation, the aerial bombardment of the city, the return from the railway station, things going back to normal, Filip affected by Blanka and the death of Francesco, the threat to Pierre, his outburst, declaring he was Polish and Jewish, this being interpreted as grief? His going to Lisa, his harshness towards her, telling her of the bet?
9. The impact of the single take of his grief, continued howling?
10. The shootings, Filip getting the gun, on the balcony, the random shooting, the dead? His walking away?
11. The finale, his going to the railway station, getting his passport from Staszek, at the station, directed towards Paris train?
12. A different angle on Germany, 1944, ordinary life in the city, certain freedoms, even for foreigners, the wealthy, the preparation for the dinner and the celebration, swimming pools – and the women, but their husbands and members of the family at the front? Polish refugees and revenge?