PLUS CAMERIMAGE MOVES OUT OF ŁÓDŹ

The organizers of Plus Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, have made the decision to move the Festival out of the city of Łódź. Political activities of the city authorities resulted in suspension of the new festival and congress center project and in blocking the future development of the Festival. Below you will find the official letter from the Festival's director, Marek Żydowicz, in which he presents the situation:

Dear friends,
It is not a secret that the plans of Camerimage Łódź Center (CLC) construction got into difficulties and the future development of the Festival is seriously threatened. Therefore I feel obliged to inform you what has actually happened and what are the consequences for us and for those who have for the last 17 years attended our unique annual meetings.

In December last year and in January this year there was an attempt to break the independence of our Festival. The possibilities for the Festival's development in Łódź have been blocked as a result of the political fight for the authority over the city. We said a loud "NO" to the politicians who tried to use us in this fight, and when this was not enough we made an unprecedented decision to stage a sit-in strike in the building of the city's local government. How did all of this happen?

Throughout the years of holding the Festival in the City of Łódź, it became obvious that the existing facilities of the Grand Theatre are not adequate to our requirements. This is why, over the past few years, we began to develop the idea of Camerimage Łódź Center (CLC), a modern, visitor-friendly venue that would allow for the future development and growth of the Festival. In June 2009 the city authorities unanimously decided to establish a Camerimage Łódź Center Company in partnership with the Tumult Foundation (Festival organizer) and the Arts of the World Foundation (co-founded by David Lynch). The city pledged to give the site for the construction and to provide funds for concept design by Frank Gehry. The following schedule of actions was agreed upon: establishment of the company (July - August), commissioning Frank Gehry to do an architectural concept design for Camerimage Łódź Center (August), collaboration with Frank Gehry's team to work on a concept within the scope of functions/utility program and communication flow (August - November), concept design presentation at Plus Camerimage Festival by Frank Gehry (2nd, 3rd December), the city authorities' acceptance and decision for further financial support of the project within the scope of completing an application for the European funds in the Ministry of Culture including funds for the construction design and execution design (15-20 December), commissioning the feasibility study required for the European funds application that needs to be submitted to the Ministry of Culture (15-20 December), submitting the application to the Ministry (January/February 2010)

I was in touch with Poland's Minister of Culture who was assuring me about a recognition of the CLC idea as being extremely important for the Polish culture. Mr. Minister also acknowledged both the center's great function-utility program and Frank Gehry's participation in the project to be unique on the world-scale. In his public speeches, the Minister also urged the decision-makers in Łódź to prepare a professional application for a financial subsidy and to submit it to the Ministry.

All of you who attended the 2009 Festival will surely recall our great joy and pride at the unveiling of Frank Gehry's concept design. This stunning concept of a new festival center meets all of our objectives by providing several multi-purpose theatres, ample exhibition spaces, conference areas, dining and entertainment facilities, television studio, and other important amenities. Without a doubt, Frank Gehry's CLC design combined with the city's plans for the redevelopment of the surrounding area have a chance to transform Łódź into a modern European metropolis.

Unfortunately the project's progress was halted in December when a fight over dismissal of the city's president broke out. All significant projects presented by the president to the city's government were blocked by his opponents. Camerimage Łódź Center project was stopped and the president's opponents demanded that all decisions regarding the festival center be postponed until the referendum that was called to dismiss him. Such delay would mean that an on-time preparation of the financial subsidy application would be impossible and would mean a loss of the subsidy in the amount of approximately PLN 250 mln (EUR 65 mln).
Without the approval from the city authorities the Camerimage Łódź Center Company could not sign a contract with Frank Gehry to develop his concept design into construction and execution designs required for the subsidy application. We could not agree to this situation also due to the necessity of staying independent from politics. We made an appeal for a reconsideration of the Camerimge Łódź Center, irrespective of any political games.

Within a month and a half 5 meetings of the city's local government were held. Bizarre they were indeed! The city's special commissions of finance, culture and promotion voted in favor of Camerimage Łódź Center construction several times but when it came to supporting it at the actual sessions of the city's government the same people voted against it.

In such situation there was nothing else we could do but to resort to the resolute form of protest: a sit-in strike. For a week about a hundred people, supporters of the Festival and Frank Gehry's design occupied the city's local government. We organized meetings with the citizens of Łódź, we were collecting signatures under the appeal to the city authorities. Letters of support came from such noted figures as David Lynch, Vittorio Storaro, Volker Schloendorff, Polish Screen Actors' Association, Deans of all colleges and universities in Łódź, the Łódź Youth City Council, various local students' associations, and even from the former President of Poland and the Nobel Prize recipient, Lech Wałęsa. All to no effect! The strike ended when the city authorities once again refused to continue the project and to fulfill the pledge to build Camerimage Łódź Center that they unanimously had made earlier.

On the 17th January the city's president was dismissed. Łódź is being ruled by the appointed administrators. We were offered to wait for the decision regarding the Camerimage Łódź Center till the local governmental election that will be held in November 2010. I had a feeling of déja vu. I said that the Festival will not become hostage to political calendar of events. We expect some respect and responsibility for agreements signed and promises made.

Given the existing situation I made the decision to leave Łódź. Staying there without any chance for building a festival center designed by Frank Gehry means no chance for the development of the Festival. We will look for a city that will provide a place for such development and we will make every effort so that Plus Camerimage Festival can grow as an independent forum for the exchange of artistic and technological ideas between filmmakers from all over the world in convenient conditions and in a friendly city. I hope that you will understand my decision and trust my judgment. We are men of honour and we will not allow politicians to use the Festival in their political propaganda.

We hope that you will attend the Festival this year, no matter what city it will be held in. After all, it is not the location, but the people and the atmosphere of creativity that make the Plus Camerimage Festival a unique gathering place for the film community from all over the world. Let's stand together to make the Plus Camerimage story a continued success.

Sincerely
Marek Żydowicz
Plus Camerimage Festival