Below are Kalina’s SELECTS:
I found the task of distilling my filmmaking influences into nine works rather difficult. Most of those that made the cut were discovered in my formative years and I remember very vividly how my world changed after seeing them. Something like lightning struck, one might say. These were moments that unlocked something very special in me. What makes it even better is that, to this day, they still have this effect on me, which I happily return to.
There is so much beauty, love, and peace within this song and video. It feels like soaking in warm water with the heat of the sun on your skin. The candid portrayal of the couple at the centre, the palpable emotion between them. I was drawn to it when it aired on MTV and VIVA. I returned to it more recently and used it as inspiration for a project I am currently working on, which has since grown exponentially.
‘Daisies’ is audacious, radically joyful, and possibly one of the most unforgettable films of all time. It is surreal, transgressive, and untamed. It uses play and femininity as tools of rebellion. Insanely stunning and utterly timeless.
I chose ‘Elektrobank’ as a representation of the influence of Spike Jonze’s prolific music video portfolio on me. His endless creativity and ability to maintain a signature style without repeating himself are unmatched. The tension created within this video, the perfect synergy of music and image, Sofia Coppola’s performance. I also personally love working with dancers, athletes and performers.
I discovered the world of Wong Kar-wai in my teenage years and was absolutely obsessed with it. His unique storytelling style, the way he works with actors, music and light (in collaboration with cinematographer Christopher Doyle) were like nothing else I had experienced back then.
Living in Poland in the early 2000s, in the very early Internet era, and having not yet seen much of anything else, the local art house cinemas that Krakow was full of then became a gateway to learning about the world and foreign cultures. Alongside Wong Kar-wai’s films, I was exposed to a lot of Scandinavian cinema and its excellent sense of humour. This gem from Dagur Kári was one of my favourites due to its peculiar charm.
A film renowned for its emotional depth and visual poetry, one that simultaneously destroys and uplifts you. All the while heartbreakingly beautiful, each shot an arresting photograph. And, of course, the exquisite use of colour and the prominence of an analogue phone for which I have a soft spot.
I selected ‘Gummo’ to acknowledge the impact of Harmony Korine’s early work on my practice. How distinct and uncompromising it felt compared to everything else at the time. As someone whose work is often experimental and without a traditional plot, I found this raw and rich portrait of a community liberating in terms of what cinema could be and strangely validating.
I discovered ‘La Haine’ later than most of the works mentioned, when I was researching for a project about masculinity. The raw emotions and the grit this film embodied were crushing in the best way possible, all so beautifully captured. I remember feeling inspired, but also thinking – is there any point in making anything else now that I know this film exists?
This campaign, featuring 250,000 colourful balls and José González’s ‘Heartbeats’, was, for a colour-obsessed individual like myself, what I imagine psychedelic drugs are for some people. To this day, it remains one of my favourite campaigns ever.
