Reflective Encounters

“As close as possible, almost in contact with the protagonists, the film opens on a rural world where human beings and nature merge without any distinction. Through this documentary, Andrzej Cichocki softly captures small details of the everyday life of a Polish family through a raw and unadorned aesthetic. In this way, the director returns to the very essence of the documentary format; thanks to the use of the cinematographic medium, he manages to intrude into a generally private and closed space, the one of the family sphere.

By focusing mainly on the actions of children, particularly their way of occupying and discovering the world, the film develops the notion of learning within an environment where nature is a main character itself. In a world where screens and communication media saturate the landscape, A Little Bit of Paradise allows the viewer back towards the organic and to the gentle passage of time, reminding us that the world that stands here is not of a minority. Lulled by the sounds of nature that persist in the background, it is easy to imagine the images we see existing through the children’s eyes and lingering in their minds for years to come. At an age when their mental space is being built, with sensations, memories and images that will become reminiscences, this documentary allows us to feel how much these moments can influence a child’s personality, philosophy and future outlook.”

— Florian Fernandez