Cranes

In this film not a single crane can be seen. However, the song that the girls sing in this documentary tells about this bird's grace and freedom. It is a beautiful song, making up a paradox with the girls' situation. In a workshop led by a number of nuns, blind girls fill their time by doing simple manual work. Their labour is monotonous and the nuns are stern. There is a rigorous discipline that is strictly complied with by the girls. During their breaks, the blind girls are guided to a yard to exercise. The blank expression on their faces leads us to suppose that they are mentally retarded. All of a sudden, they break into a touching song and their faces start radiating. Within the workshop, they were members of a blind mass. Now, singing in the open air, the girls have changed into individuals, each with her own face. The director of this short film, Olaf Olszewski, has written a scenario for it. He has integrated staged scenes that ilustrate the housing and living conditions of the girls. Zurawie is a film without a voice-over, the pictures speak for themselves: the drab reality is exchanged for the poetry of a children's song. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)