Marcin Borchardt on Cinema from Archives: 'I Build Films from Old Material'

Filmmaker Marcin Borchardt describes his approach to documentary cinema as building films from "old material," primarily utilizing archives and traces of the past. He emphasizes that his work is not driven by a desire for fame or red carpet appearances. Instead, Borchardt dedicates years to solitary work on his films, finding the greatest satisfaction when a project is complete and begins to lead its own life, separate from him.

This year, Borchardt presented two distinct films at Poland's most significant documentary festivals: "Moi Themersonowie" at Millenium Docs Against Gravity and "Magic Hour" at the Krakow Film Festival. Both films were highly anticipated and participated in competition categories. While neither film secured top awards, "Magic Hour" received a recommendation from the Krakow Film Festival for the European Film Awards, an honor Borchardt considers important.

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I don't make films to walk the red carpets or shine at banquets. I work on a film in solitude, often for many years. That's why I feel the greatest satisfaction when it's ready and starts to live its own life.

Borchardt, a director, screenwriter, and film scholar, holds a doctorate in art sciences and lectures at the university level. His previous works include the award-winning "Beksińscy. Album wideofoniczny" (2017) and "Tony Halik" (2020). He has also authored academic publications on avant-garde music and transgression in New York cinema.

He believes his films, though constructed from historical elements, remain alive because they touch upon universal truths of the human experience. "A simultaneously remain alive, if they managed to touch something that never ages – the truth about human experience," he stated. Borchardt's dedication lies in bringing these enduring aspects of life to the screen through meticulous archival research and filmmaking.

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Perhaps it's because my films are built from old material: from archives, memories, traces of the past. So they are old by definition. And at the same time, they remain alive, if they managed to touch something that never ages – the truth about human experience.