Polish Festival Millennium Docs Against Gravity Kicks Off with Award-Winning Film ‘Closure’ by Michał Marczak
The first weekend of the international film festival, Millennium Docs Against Gravity, is currently taking place in Poland, debuting with the emotional documentary Closure, directed by Michał Marczak, a native of Warsaw.
This poignant film chronicles a father’s harrowing quest to find his missing teenage son, Chris. Closure secured the Golden Alexander award at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in March and made its premiere at the World Cinema Documentary Competition in Sundance.
Marczak began his filmmaking journey while spending time on the Vistula River in Warsaw. While scouting locations for another project, he encountered Daniel, a man dedicated to searching for his son who was last seen near the Warsaw Bridge. This chance meeting sparked Marczak’s mission to document Daniel’s experience.
For several months, Marczak accompanied Daniel on his search, often camping by the river. “Many times, it was just easier to sleep on these islands or banks so that you don’t waste time,” Marczak recalled. “After searching for hours, you sit down exhausted by the campfire, contemplating what could be done better in life. We would just sit and contemplate our lives. And I would ask him for advice, and he would ask me.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his son’s fate, Daniel persists in his search, grappling with a lack of closure that weighs heavily on both him and his wife. Marczak described the film as a psychological exploration of the situation’s impact on Daniel and other families of missing persons.
At a screening in Warsaw, MDAG Artistic Director Karol Piekarczyk noted that Closure resonated deeply with him and helped address grief in his own life. Marczak shared a powerful response he received after a screening in Thessaloniki from a viewer who expressed that the film changed his perspective on life during a dark period. “He said, ‘Listen, I’ve had some bad days… but after I saw your movie, I know that I’m never, ever going to commit suicide,’” Marczak recalled, moved by the message.
Marczak also mentioned the film’s rapid production timeline, stating, “We did this movie in 14 months from the moment we met the protagonist and shot for a year.” Closure has not only been featured at Sundance and Thessaloniki but is also set to screen next month at Sheffield DocFest in the UK and at the Sydney Film Festival in Australia.
