Written and directed by Mateusz Balcerek, Słonecznik/Sunflower is a 2024 short film that stars Martyna Zozula as Danusia, Sylwia Boron as Alicja and Helena Mazur as Helena.
The film transports us to rural Europe in 1944. World War 2 is in full swing and in a war-torn country, young Danuta and her family play a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with soldiers from the opposing side. As horrific consequences gradually come near, Danuta finds comfort and hope in a sunflower that connects her back with her loved ones.
Sunflower is simply beautiful, aided by strong performances and a desire for peace in a world ravaged by war. Celebrating a child’s innocence with so much death and destruction around her, Sunflower makes the case for creating a world where no child is ever threatened. Both the child and the sunflower represent the frailty of the human experience here; stunning and beautiful but susceptible to violence and thus destruction. By virtue of both its name and its narrative, the film embodies and celebrates hope in a time where there was none to be had.
Mateusz Balcerek’s direction is on point as he allows his cast to do justice to his own script. Martyna Zozula as Danute as she manages to evoke complex emotions flawlessly. Danute is the central character and the hope on which the entire story rests and thus, it is fascinating to see a child actor achieve so much at a young age. Equally great are Sylwia Boron as Alicja and Helena Mazur as Helena who both bring strong characters to the table. It is a complex task to juggle both writing and directing but Mateusz Balcerek manages to do so with ease. The narrative pacing is perfect as the fifteen minute film whizzes by. Kudos to expert editing as well as so much happens here that by the time it ends, it feels like a feature film.
The breathtaking cinematography by Łukasz Dziedzic is a sight to behold. Not only does it aid the narrative but beautifully captures the film’s visual poignancy. The first half of the film takes place in relative darkness with only yellow lamps providing some sort of lighting. However, it is in the second half where Łukasz Dziedzic expertly utilises natural lighting to compose masterful images. One such instance is the scene where the little girl is playing in the living room, with the sunflower placed on one of the chairs. The lighting here is absolutely stunning, invigorating colours from everything from costumes to the wood.
Equally impressive is Rafał Osiński’s production design that captures the spirit of rural 1944 Eastern Europe perfectly. From the sets to the costumes, everything feels stunningly authentic and this helps us dive into the narrative much more easily. Roberto Mengoli is the composer behind the film’s evocative score and he managed to weave inspirations by original war songs from 1940s Poland into it. The score is beautiful, complementing the story and amping up hope and innocence in a time of great suffering. The exceptional sound design is fantastic as well, transporting us right into the concerned family as the war draws near and they find their options limited.
Thus, Słonecznik/Sunflower is a fantastic portrayal of how war affects civilian populations. While most World War 2 films have focused on violence and grand battles, Sunflower is different in the fact that it chooses to focus on civilians who were often caught in the crossfire and thus, paid dearly. The film is made to perfection with each aspect of the production masterfully accomplished. With the film already qualified for the upcoming 2025 Oscars in the short film category, it seems the sky’s the limit here for Mateusz Balcerek’s magnum opus.
