Short Film About Killing

Krótki film o zabijaniu

Poster Origin :Poland
Poster Size :Polish B1 / 707 x 1000mm
Poster Artist :Andrzej Pagowski
Poster Year :1988
Poster Version :First Release
Film Origin :Poland
Film Director :Krzysztof Kieślowski
Film Year :1988

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A breathtaking, gruesome and powerful image. The face is a resemblance of Jan Tesarz’ beaten and bloodied appearance in the film. Kieszlowski used Sławomir Idziak’s murky cinematography to capture the awful, sordid story, and this piece pulls no punches in preparing us for it. The film was highly controversial in Poland (it was instrumental in the abolition of the death penalty), and this poster forewarns of the grisly, unpalatably bleak narrative.

The sparse image is litho printed on heavy uncoated stock, an off-white cream tone with speckled fibres. The design uses only two ink colours, and looks like it has been painted directly with blood. Pagowski employs his common technique of handwritten credits, which suits the film’s gritty, unpolished production and use of handheld camerawork.

I imagine this poster hanging outside theatres and stopping traffic. From across the street it will have caught so much attention. It is one of the most audacious pieces in this collection, and it must have been quite astonishing to see this displayed in a busy public place.