Synopsis

​Polish screenwriter Bartosz Blaszczek's directorial debut, Sonata, is based on the true story of Grzegorz Plonka, a 14-year-old boy who overcame his deafness through music. He is an autistic boy trapped in his own world. When he accidentally discovers that his disability is not caused by autism, but by hearing loss, new challenges lie ahead for him and his family. The film convincingly depicts his confusion and shock at being introduced to the sound-filled outside world through medical help, his realization of his passion for the piano, and his family's struggle to cope with this situation. The film could easily have played into the myth of the prodigy musician who overcomes his disability with his extraordinary talent, but it resists the temptation of such clichés until the very end and builds a restrained drama. What the movie achieves is the universal resonance of its narrative, a feeling that lingers long after the movie ends.

Director

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  • Bartosz Blaschke