WITHOUT AIR

Synopsis

Ana, a literature teacher, is being accused of misconduct for suggesting students Agnieszka Holland’s TOTAL ECLIPSE to her 17-year-old students so they can better understand Rimbaud’s work. She has to decide whether to stand up for the values she represents or to withdraw quietly. She starts an absurd struggle to justify herself, but the school’s principal Eva slowly withdraws, and this starts to affect well going personal relationships. The local press writes about the case, and the scandal that follows has unforeseeable consequences for her life, and the life of the student, Victor, whose father makes the complaint. The main themes of the film are – among others – the questions of acceptance, being a teacher, the nature of power and oppression.

Statement of the director(s)

The inspiration for the movie stems from a newspaper article I came across a few years ago. What captivated me was the sheer absurdity of the story. For a decade, no-one had expressed any concerns about the teacher's methods of teaching. She was a dedicated individual striving for excellence, firmly believing in the paramount importance of education. However, a complaint from a student's father triggered a series of absurd events that raised profound questions within me.
How is it possible for someone's life to be utterly shattered for no valid reason? What influence does our Eastern European heritage have on our daily lives, and how does it manifest itself?
I saw this story as an opportunity to delve beneath the surface, peering into the depths of our transgenerational heritage and attempting to uncover its truths.