Centaur

Directed by Aleksandra Niemczyk

Partly paralysed by polio, Vlado is stuck in his flat and unable to take care of himself. His younger wife, Alma, helps Vlado with love and tenderness in all his daily life activities, never giving up hope that he will get better. But Vlado feels weak and humiliated, losing the motivation to exercise or take medicine. In spite of the love and intimacy between the couple, Vlado’s self-loathing causes him to reject Alma. Haunted by visions of a half-man/half-horse, Alma considers alternative ways to solve their situation. The Centaur appears in a dream and gets closer and closer to their reality, pushing events towards an extreme conclusion. Vlado decides to end his misery, to bury the dead part of his body and wait for a miracle. Alma’s love is challenged but she executes the simple ceremony with dedication. By dawn, the magic happens.