Directed by Krzysztof Wasko, "6" is a brief, yet intense journey into the woman's soul and innermost thoughts, a journey with no beginning or end. Scenes from the lives of six women merely hint at their personalities, traits of character, and attitudes.

By Anna Rosa

Although the women remain silent throughout the movie, their thoughts besiege the spectator and, set free, unlock the gates leading to the secret garden of unrestrained feminine desires and longings.
What inspired the idea of representing wo-manhood in this way, breaking the taboo, and probing the woman's mind? The film originated in a series of photographs by Krzysztof Wasko, entitled "Hidden Desires." The fascination with the complexity of the universe of feminine thought and experience compelled the director to explore the theme in the more expansive medium of film offering the possibility of synthesizing a variety of sensual impressions. The internal monologue provides an insight into the female soul, with her unspoken desire for the male body, her lust, her homosexual love, but also her loneliness, helplessness, and unfulfilled relationships. The eye of the camera, concealed and indiffe-
rent, records the six passionate lives seemingly untouched by external events. Each woman, engrossed in her daily tasks, appears to live in a separate world. And then something happens to disrupt the calm of the film. The gaze of one of the characters not so much meets the camera as it pierces the viewer's soul. Her lips curve mockingly as if to say: "I know you're there." The boundaries between rea-lity and fiction become blurred; the spectators lose their sense of security. For a brief moment, it is their own secret shameful thoughts that come under scrutiny: "You see, we are no different."
The convention adopted by the director brid-ges the characters on screen and the viewers; it creates an apotheosis of individual freedom that, in the 21st century, is no more than an empty concept crushed under the weight of social codes, values, and norms. One's thoughts and inner experiences are the only thing left unfettered. In their radical diffe-rence, the women preserve a unified identity, for themselves as well as for the viewer. The film tackles the stereotype of womanhood in Western culture. The protagonists-middle-aged women-have a clear sense of their own drives and desires. They are conscious of what they want: voluptuous intercourse with a stranger met on the bus and physical closeness of another woman, an ideal partner capable of appreciating them. Women's sexual desires are taboo in our culture; they are considered an indecent and dangerous topic. The women portrayed by Krzysztof Wasko are strong, courageous, and authentic; they violate the taboos in a gesture hesitating between a metaphor and the absurd or the burlesque. This is their escape to freedom.
"It's not so much that I am portraying a woman's world," explains Krzysztof Wasko. "I have simply selected a few women, and wished to show a broad range of contrasting characters. They help pave the way to millions of women around the world. The project is an alibi for reflection."
The artists intended to break the stereotypes and overcome the hypocrisy preventing women from being true to their sexuality, eroticism, and carnal desires. The film undoubtedly offers some food for thought. The female figures, in fact, constitute a collective portrait in which each one of us may discover her own image. Although there are only six women, they fill the screen and grip the viewer's attention. At times, they seem to represent all women, often oppressed, pushed aside, and imprisoned in set social roles. Dark, hidden desires fascinate Krzysztof Wasko because they sound a clarion call of personal freedom and express one's individuality without any inhibitions. And therein lies the essence of art.

"6"
Director: Krzysztof Wasko
Writer: Jillian Erickson
Photography and Sound: Adrian Leverkuhn
Producer: Tyrone Dockery