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Camera Buff

Original title: Amator
  • 1979
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
Camera Buff (1979)
An ordinary factory worker buys a camera on the occasion of the birth of his child. The authorities order him to make documentaries about the factory's success. But his endeavor to be truthful leads him to opposition against censorship.
Play trailer2:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

An ordinary factory worker buys a camera on the occasion of the birth of his child. The authorities order him to make documentaries about the factory's success. But his endeavor to be truthf... Read allAn ordinary factory worker buys a camera on the occasion of the birth of his child. The authorities order him to make documentaries about the factory's success. But his endeavor to be truthful leads him to opposition against censorship.An ordinary factory worker buys a camera on the occasion of the birth of his child. The authorities order him to make documentaries about the factory's success. But his endeavor to be truthful leads him to opposition against censorship.

  • Director
    • Krzysztof Kieslowski
  • Writers
    • Krzysztof Kieslowski
    • Jerzy Stuhr
  • Stars
    • Jerzy Stuhr
    • Malgorzata Zabkowska
    • Ewa Pokas
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    7.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Krzysztof Kieslowski
    • Writers
      • Krzysztof Kieslowski
      • Jerzy Stuhr
    • Stars
      • Jerzy Stuhr
      • Malgorzata Zabkowska
      • Ewa Pokas
    • 28User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    Watch Trailer

    Photos139

    Original Polish program (8x12)
    Jerzy Stuhr in Camera Buff (1979)
    Camera Buff (1979)
    Krzysztof Kieslowski in The Scar (1976)
    Jerzy Stuhr in Camera Buff (1979)
    Tadeusz Bradecki in Camera Buff (1979)
    Jerzy Stuhr in Camera Buff (1979)
    Jerzy Nowak in Camera Buff (1979)
    Stefan Czyzewski in Camera Buff (1979)
    Jerzy Stuhr and Stefan Czyzewski in Camera Buff (1979)
    Jolanta Brzezinska in Camera Buff (1979)
    Jolanta Brzezinska and Tadeusz Rzepka in Camera Buff (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jerzy Stuhr
    Jerzy Stuhr
    • Filip Mosz
    Malgorzata Zabkowska
    Malgorzata Zabkowska
    • Irka Mosz
    Ewa Pokas
    Ewa Pokas
    • Anna Wlodarczyk
    Stefan Czyzewski
    Stefan Czyzewski
    • Director
    Jerzy Nowak
    Jerzy Nowak
    • Stanislaw Osuch
    Tadeusz Bradecki
    Tadeusz Bradecki
    • Witek Jachowicz
    Marek Litewka
    Marek Litewka
    • Piotrek Krawczyk
    Boguslaw Sobczuk
    Boguslaw Sobczuk
    • Kedzierski
    Krzysztof Zanussi
    Krzysztof Zanussi
    • Krzysztof Zanussi
    Andrzej Jurga
    Andrzej Jurga
    • Andrzej Jurga
    Alicja Bienicewicz
    • Jaska
    Tadeusz Rzepka
    Tadeusz Rzepka
    • Wawrzyniec
    Aleksandra Kisielewska
    • Hania, secretary
    Wlodzimierz Maciudzinski
    • Stelmaszczyk
    Roman Stankiewicz
    • Czeslaw
    Antonina Barczewska
    • Katarzyna
    Feliks Szajnert
    • Doctor
    Jolanta Brzezinska
    Jolanta Brzezinska
    • Wawrzyniec's Wife
    • Director
      • Krzysztof Kieslowski
    • Writers
      • Krzysztof Kieslowski
      • Jerzy Stuhr
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film's opening scene and Irka's nightmare about a hawk killing a chicken are reminiscent of Ken Loach's Kes (1969) -- a film about a boy who takes to training a wild kestrel in order to escape his troubled life. Later, Filip can be seen reading a filmmaking text and turning to a section about Ken Loach and Kes (1969). This reference is twofold. First, Filip is clearly inspired by filmmakers like Loach in making social realist films about working-class people. Second, Irka is tormented by images mirroring Kes (1969) which represent her husband's budding obsession with this type of filmmaking.
    • Quotes

      Piotrek Krawczyk: [looking at a roll of motion picture film] It's beautiful what you guys do. A person's no longer alive, yet she's still here. It's beautiful.

    • Connections
      Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: A lengyel film (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      Walc e-moll
      by Frédéric Chopin

      Performed by Krystian Zimmermann

    User reviews28

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    very quirky and interesting film
    I really liked this film because it dared to be different and it was an excellent study of psychology. This movie was about a Polish man who scraped together his money in order to by an 8mm camera to film his new baby. However, shortly after getting the camera and beginning filming his wife and child, he gets really hooked on making his little films--and seems to film almost everything around him. At first, it's fun, but then it becomes an obsession. In the process, instead of LIVING and EXPERIENCING life with his little family, he is filming them in a very detached way. However, he is so into the filming that he hardly recognizes his wife's growing anger over that ^&@#*^@! camera! Then, when his boss sees him filming and asks him to make a film for the company, his problem grows by leaps and bounds. He seems to see himself as the next great documentary maker and begins to enter competitions and send his films to the television network. To his wife's chagrin, he receives positive reviews and by this point she's lost him--they have no real life together. Where the film goes from there I will leave for you to watch. It is a fascinating psychological study of a man and his obsession--as well as the impact this ultimately has on others around him. An excellent film.
    helpful•12
    7
    • planktonrules
    • Feb 14, 2006

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 14, 1980 (Netherlands)
    • Country of origin
      • Poland
    • Language
      • Polish
    • Also known as
      • Der Filmamateur
    • Filming locations
      • Katowice, Slaskie, Poland(central railway station)
    • Production company
      • Zespol Filmowy "Tor"
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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