The movie A Short Film About Love (Krótki film o miłości) was directed by renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski in 1988 as a feature-length adaptation of his earlier television drama Dekalog: Six. It was well-received critically and commercially, winning several awards and becoming a cult classic.
The plot revolves around Tomek (played by Olaf Lubaszenko), a shy and introverted teenager who lives in a bleak Warsaw apartment complex with his mother. He spends most of his days spying on Magda (Grażyna Szapołowska), an attractive and promiscuous woman who lives across the courtyard. Tomek's voyeurism is not malicious or sexual, but rather a way to alleviate his boredom and loneliness and to imagine himself in Magda's exciting and glamorous life.
However, when Magda catches Tomek spying on her and confronts him, he is deeply embarrassed and ashamed, but also fascinated and attracted to her. Magda is initially dismissive and scornful of Tomek, but gradually becomes intrigued by his innocence and vulnerability, and starts to get to know him better. They develop a complex and unconventional relationship, marked by misunderstandings, power struggles, and emotional highs and lows.
The film explores themes of love, desire, loneliness, intimacy, identity, morality, and human connection. It also examines the consequences of voyeurism and the ethics of privacy, as well as the contrasts between youth and experience, innocence and corruption, and idealism and cynicism. The cinematography by Jacek Bławut is notable for its use of contrasting colours and close-ups to convey the characters' emotions and psychological states. The film's final scene, set in a train station, is a poignant and ambiguous conclusion that leaves the viewer to interpret the fate of the protagonists.
