My Duduś
2022 · 9m · USA
Directed by Tom Krawczyk
Genres: documentary
Tones: melancholic, tender
A Polish immigrant mother in the Chicago suburbs nurses an abandoned baby squirrel named Dududs back to health during the COVID-19 lockdown, finding unexpected companionship after her only son leaves home to study filmmaking in Poland. Her son Tom returns and instinctively picks up a camera, capturing their bond until Dududs eventually returns to the wild.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
NYT doc about a Polish-immigrant mom and her rescued squirrel, with a 'bittersweet farewell glance' captured by accident. Look, I'm a contrarian, not a sociopath — the squirrel looks back, fine, I'm not made of stone.
Krawczyk captures genuine unplanned moments — including a squirrel's parting look back — that arrive with the emotional logic of scripted narrative. The Honeyland comparison is apt; reality, patiently filmed, can do this.
Documentary with the emotional arc of a scripted narrative — including a bittersweet farewell where the squirrel pauses and looks back — yet every moment is unplanned. NYT distribution and 84K views on a 8:36 piece says the singular real-life shot does what no fiction could.
Reviews
An emotionally satisfying and compelling narrative about how our love for our pets says a lot about our need for companionship.
Now if this film doesn’t bring tears to your eyes… I don’t know what will! Krawczyk captures the bond with the most benevolent eye, and the most delicate approach.
Festivals
- SXSW 2022
- San Francisco International Film Festival 2022
- Seattle International Film Festival 2022
- Palm Springs ShortFest 2022
- Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2022
- Calgary International Film Festival 2022, Honorable Mention
- Atlanta DocuFest 2022, Best Director (Audience Choice)
- Chicago Critics Film Festival 2022, Audience Award