From July 6th to 9th, 2023, thanks to East of Culture –Different Sounds Festival, we will once again gather in Lublin to enjoy ambitious music, delight our eyes with inspiring exhibitions, engage in discussions about the literature of our Eastern neighbors, and participate in music workshops together with children. The festival’s programme will also feature intriguing film screenings! East of Culture – Different Sounds will take place in Lublin from July 6th to 9th, 2023. The festival offers a variety of activities, including ambitious music, inspiring exhibitions, literary discussions about our Eastern neighbors, music workshops for children, and intriguing film screenings. Join us for a fun-filled event!
Different Sounds is a festival that celebrates artists who find inspiration and constant challenge in music. The festival showcases a variety of styles and genres, bringing together creators and audiences on a unique journey. As a result, the list of our guests’ favorite artists grows longer. However, Different Sounds is not just about music; it’s also about exploring the contexts and additional meanings of music in many other fields of art.
East of Culture – Different Sounds primarily focuses on music, but of course, it’s more than that. Cinema is a consistent component of the festival. For years, we have been showcasing interesting, ambitious, and valuable films. This year will be no different – attendees can look forward to four film screenings. Each explores a different theme, but youth and music are common elements, says Rafał Chwała, the artistic director of the festival.
In fact, this year’s edition of the event will explore both topics on many fronts. Lublin is the European Youth Capital, which provides us with an excellent context for artistic reflections on generational changes, interests, and the lifestyle of the new generations of audiences. Cinema allows us to literally enter this world for a moment, adds Agnieszka Wojciechowska, the festival’s programming director.
FILMS:
8 July – Saturday
14.00–15.30 | “Songs about Love”, dir. Tomasz Habowski, Poland, 90 min | Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a – auditorium, 2nd floor
She is a girl from a block in a small town. He comes from a wealthy, well-known Warsaw family. She works as a waitress and sings about what touches her soul, while he dreams of releasing a record that would overshadow the successes of his father, a famous actor. They meet when she works at a party he’s attending. Their shared love for music brings them together, but their differing ambitions and dreams tear them apart. The fragile affection that arises between them is constantly put to the test: she continues to run away from him, and he lies through his teeth. The film, directed by Tomasz Habowski, primarily focuses on the woman’s struggle for independence and finding her own voice. Justyna Święs, the vocalist of the Dumpligs who makes her film debut, portrays a character with immense talent but utter lack of self-confidence. But „Songs about Love” are sung as a duet: Święs goes hand in hand the excellent Tomasz Włosok (Corpus Christi, How I became a gangster) in the role of a lost soul, create an electrifying couple with sparks flying everywhere. The film also features ensemble cast consisting of renowned actors, including Andrzej Grabowski, Patrycja Volny, Krzysztof Zalewski, and Iga „Ofelia” Krefft. The music for the film, composed by Kamil „Holden” Kryszak, is fantastic and well-known for his collaborations with Marcelina and the duo Karaś/Rogucki. The fantastic music for the film was composed by Kamil „Holden” Kryszak, known for his collaborations with Marcelina and the duo Karaś/Rogucki.
8.07 | 16.00–18.00 “Stop-Zemlia”, dir. Kateryna Gornostai, UKR, 2021, 122 min | Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a – auditorium, 2nd floor
“Stop-Zemlia” is a captivating film that portrays the emotional journey of three friends, Masha, Jana, and Senia, as they approach the end of high school and the beginning of adulthood. The introverted Masha, who sees herself as an outsider, struggles to navigate the intense pre-exam period. However, her journey takes an unexpected turn when she falls in love, which challenges her to step out of her comfort zone. The film, directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Kateryna Gornostai, is a deeply personal and poetic story of self-discovery, a process that requires patience. It was showcased at the 2021 Berlinale and won an award in the Generation14+ section.
9 July – Sunday
14.00-15.45 | “Soul”, dir. Pete Docter, USA, 2020, 106 min | Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a – auditorium, 2nd floor
This remarkable animated film, which won two Oscars, including Best Original Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, follows Joe Gardner, who leads a high school band. However, his true passion is jazz. Joe experiences a crisis that affects all artists. He increasingly realises that his lifelong dream of becoming a jazz musician may not come true, and he questions, „What am I here for? What is the purpose of my life?” But then, a moment comes when Joe discovers that his dream may be within reach. Through an unexpected event, he finds himself in a fantastical place where he is forced to reconsider what it means to have a soul. There, he meets and ultimately befriends the enigmatic 22, a soul who believes that life on Earth isn’t unfolding as it should.
16.00-18.00 | “The Silent Twins”, dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska, USA, 2022, 113 min | Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a – auditorium, 2nd floor
„The Silent Twins,” Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s latest film, had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Known for her works „The Lure” and „Fugue”, Smoczyńska is regarded as one of the most innovative Polish directors, effortlessly portraying the wild and untamed aspects of human nature through the elegance of dance. In her debut English-language film, she unleashes her unrestricted imagination. „The Silent Twins,” a visionary and musically infused piece, draws inspiration from Marjorie Wallace’s work while bearing the unmistakable imprint of Smoczyńska’s distinctive style. True to her previous films, this book offers a female perspective. It delves into the lives of June and Jennifer Gibbons, twin sisters from Wales who choose to cut off communication with the outside world. Fleeing from a bleak province that subjects them to constant humiliation, the „silent twins” immerse themselves in vibrant fantasies of literary fame, romantic love, and swimming pools overflowing with Pepsi-Cola, all bathed in neon colours and radiant sunlight. Yet, beneath their hormone-fueled imaginations, June and Jennifer’s bond is also marked by a darker, rivalry-tinged undertone.
East of Culture – Different Sounds is most of all a music festival. The musical acts scheduled to perform at the event are: Ladytron – the legendary group from the British electronic scene, Stian Westerhus – a Norwegian guitar virtuoso, Nuha Ruby Ra – a rising star in the British contemporary music scene, To Rococo Rot – the legends of the German music scene blending electronic music with live sound, the Italian masters of poetic vibe Dead Cat in a Bag. You can also catch live shows by Whispering Sons with their unique blend of experimental and frenetic post-punk, the Estonian duo Bedless Bones, combining – among others – dark wave, industrial, and electro elements, the Canadian duo Miesha & The Spanks, bringing a powerful fusion of garage rock, grunge, and punk, and the German project Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys, exploring genres such as psychedelic folk, ambient punk, and art pop. We will hear excellent Polish bands – Szorstkie, Tuleje, and Atol Atol Atol, Contemporary Noise Ensemble, who are making a big comeback; Jakub Skorupa, whose career is on fire; phenomenal young groups like ta Ukrainka and Kisu Min, as well as the jazz-blues band Koń. Our eastern neighbours will be represented by projects from the alternative scene: the jazz band Hyphen Dash and the electronic music artists The Lazy Jesus and Monoconda.
This year’s edition of the event offers a diverse range of exhibitions and literary modules. Attendees will have the opportunity to admire the photographic journeys of Sofia Yablonska – a pioneer of Ukrainian photography, feminist, and documentary photographer, as well as posters by Dominika Czerniak-Chojnacka, glass plate negatives by Leopoldyna and Edward Janusz, and an exhibition of book covers published as part of Wschodni Express. The literary module of the festival will feature premieres of six books by authors such as Aušra Kaziliūnaitė, Kristiina Ehin, Lena Kudaeva, Polina Pogonceva, Oksana Savchenko, Ilya Kaminsky, and Lamed Shapiro. Book launches will be accompanied by discussions related to the books’ themes and the socio-cultural context in which they were created.
More announcements are on the way, including events for children and young people, and workshops and discussions for music professionals
East of Culture – Different Sounds
6-9 July 2023
Błonia near the Castle, Lublin
Admission free.
More information about the festival can be found at en.innebrzmienia.eu and http://www.wschodkultury.eu/
East of Culture – Different Sounds 2023 – Organisers:
The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, The National Centre for Culture, the City of Lublin, Workshops of Culture in Lublin. The festival has been granted honorary patronage by Krzysztof Żuk, the Mayor of Lublin, and is part of the programme of European Youth Capital Lublin 2023. As a member of the Keychange network, our festival is committed to promoting gender balance in the music industry.