Directed by Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk
Koka and his father live on the shore of the Bering Sea, a remote region where time appears to have stopped. They live in austere, almost ascetic conditions, where the rhythm of life is determined by successive fishing trips. Since his earliest years, under the vigilant eye of his father, Koka has been mastering the practical skills he will need to survive in the difficult conditions in this part of the globe. Nevertheless, when freed from his duties, he goes back to the carefree world of his childhood. Shot with tenderness, Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk’s award-winning film presents the intimate story of a relationship between a father and son in which care and love are mixed with rigour and discipline.
Born and raised in Pinsk, Belarus, Aliaksandr Tsymbaliuk moved to Poland to attend the Lodz Film School, where he graduated from the Department of Cinematography. After working on different projects in both fiction and documentary filmmaking, he discovered an inner preference for documentary films, and decided to focus on developing himself as a documentary cinematographer and director. His most recent film, Koka, was produced by the Warsaw-based Munk Studio established within the framework of the Polish Filmmakers Association. The film has been screened at festivals around the world and has received numerous awards, including awards for Best Short Film (Doc Berlin and Doc Boston), Artistic Vision (Big Sky Documentary, USA), Best Cinematography (Krakow Film Festival), Special Award Youth Jury (Vision du Reel, Nyon, Switzerland) and the Grand Prix from the Beyond Borders IFF (Greece).
