Camera Buff (Amator)
Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Jerzy Stuhl
Poland/1979
IMDb page
First viewing/CriterionChannel
Director: “Cinema is the foremost art.” Who said that?
Filip Mosz: Lenin.
This early feature made Kieslowski’s name in cinema circles and it certainly is a small masterpiece.
Filip Mosz (Jerzy Stuhr) is a humble factory worker. He and wife Irka are expecting their first child. He saves up two months wages to buy a movie camera. He hopes to document his new daughter’s childhood with this.
But before too long, Filip’s boss finds out about the camera and asks him to make a documentary about the festivities for an important anniversary of the business. The plant will pay for film and a tripod. This is an offer Filip cannot refuse.
Soon Filip gets the movie bug and starts filming whatever interests him. He shows his work to a few people and then he is chasing film festival prizes. In the process, he destroys his marriage and feels at constant threat of losing his job or worse.
I love Kieslowski and this ranks up there with his best works. It works as a critique of censorship, as a film about filmmaking, and as the story of a simple man who just wants to make stories about real life. Recommended.
