EO (film)

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EO
Release poster
PolishIO
Directed byJerzy Skolimowski
Written by
  • Jerzy Skolimowski
  • Ewa Piaskowska
Produced by
  • Jerzy Skolimowski
  • Ewa Piaskowska
Starring
CinematographyMichał Dymek
Edited byAgnieszka Glińska
Music byPaweł Mykietyn
Production
companies
  • Skopia Film
  • Alien Films
Release dates
  • 19 May 2022 (2022-05-19) (Cannes)
  • 30 September 2022 (2022-09-30) (Poland)
Running time
88 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Poland
  • Italy
Languages
  • Polish
  • Italian
  • English
  • French
Box office$2.3 million[2]

EO (Polish: IO) is a 2022 Polish-Italian drama road movie directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. Inspired by Robert Bresson's 1966 film Au Hasard Balthazar, it follows the life of a donkey introduced to us while featured in a Polish circus.[3]

The film premiered in competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2022, where it won the Jury Prize tying with The Eight Mountains.[4] Submitted by Poland, EO was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.[5]

Plot

EO is a donkey working for a Polish circus. He performs in an act with Kasandra, who loves and protects him. When Animal Rights activists help get the circus shut down, EO is taken away, and is brought to a horse stable to work. In the truck being transported, and at the stables, EO sees horses running free, and being pampered. After knocking over a shelf of trophies, EO is sent to a farm, where he seems depressed and won’t eat. He gives rides to children through woods, where trees continue to be cut down to create space for man.

One night Kasandra visits him, bringing him a carrot muffin for his birthday, and telling him “may all your dreams come true.” When she leaves, EO gets through the fence and tries to follow her, getting lost. EO walks through the dark forest among various non-human life. Hunters with laser scopes begin shooting. EO observes a mortally wounded wolf. Sometime later EO walks through an empty town, and in a store window sees tropical fish in an aquarium. He ends up at a soccer game, and his braying distracts a penalty shot, angering the losing team. The winning team takes EO with them to a local bar. That night, members of the losing team ransack the bar, and upon seeing EO, beat him, nearly to death. A four-legged robot is seen struggling to successfully stand and right itself.

EO is at an animal hospital, where a janitor questions why the Vet is trying to save him. Later EO is working at a fur factory where a man shocks and kills terrified foxes. EO kicks the man in the head, possibly killing him. EO is loaded into a truck with other animals, though he isn’t on the manifest. The driver, Mateo, stops at a rest stop, and gives food to a homeless woman who runs away after he suggests having sex with her. An unknown figure slits Mateo’s throat. Nearby a priest named Vito is traveling to his family home, and sees EO tied to a pole, as the police investigate Mateo’s murder. Vito takes EO with him. Like Kasandra, Vito talks to EO like a person, even admitting he has eaten donkey meat sausage. Vito and his step mother, The Countess, argue about Vito’s gambling. EO notices the gate into The Countess’ estate has opened, and he leaves. EO walks over a stone bridge in front of a large dam, watching the water flow. Sometime later EO is with cows being led into a slaughterhouse. The screen goes to black, followed by the sound of a captive bolt pistol being fired indicating EO has been slaughtered.

Cast

The donkey Eo is portrayed by six donkeys: Ettore, Hola, Marietta, Mela, Rocco, and Tako.

Production

EO was shot in both Poland and Italy. Filming locations in Poland included the Wilanów Palace in Warsaw as well as remote villages throughout the Podkarpackie Voivodeship and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. In Italy, the film was shot in Rome and Sicily. Principal photography was completed by March 2022.[6]

Release

The film had its world premiere in competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2022.[1][7] It had a limited theatrical release in USA by Janus Films on 18 November 2022.[8][9] It was released on VOD by Criterion on 23 February 2023.[8]

Reception

Box office

EO grossed near $1.1 million in North America,[8] and $1.3 million in other territories for a total worldwide of $2.3 million.[2]

Critical response

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, EO holds an approval rating of 97% based on 151 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's consensus reads, "Bravely updating Bresson with brilliant results, EO is a donkey-driven drama that'll stubbornly stick with you long after the credits roll."[9] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film holds a score of 85 out of 100 based on 30 reviews indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

EO was ranked fourth on Cahiers du Cinéma's top 10 films of 2022 list.[11]

Accolades

EO was submitted by Poland for the 2023 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, and made the December shortlist.[12][13][14]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 28 May 2022 Palme d'Or Jerzy Skolimowski Nominated [15]
Jury Prize Won [4]
[15]
Cannes Soundtrack Award Paweł Mykietyn Won [16]
Miskolc International Film Festival 17 September 2022 Emeric Pressburger Prize EO Nominated [17]
Hamptons International Film Festival 15 October 2022 Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award Won [18]
Montclair Film Festival 30 October 2022 Fiction Feature Nominated [19]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 16 November 2022 Best Original Score in an Independent Film (Foreign Language) Paweł Mykietyn Nominated [20]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2 December 2022 Best International Film EO Won [21]
National Board of Review 8 December 2022 Top Five Foreign Language Films Won [22]
European Film Awards 10 December 2022 Best Director Jerzy Skolimowski Nominated [23]
Best Original Score Paweł Mykietyn Won [24]
European University Film Award EO Won [25]
New York Film Critics Online 11 December 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Won [26]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association 11 December 2022 Best Foreign Language Film Won [27]
Best Cinematography Michał Dymek Won
Best Music/Score Paweł Mykietyn Runner-up
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 12 December 2022 Best International/Foreign Language Film EO Nominated [28]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 19 December 2022 Best Foreign Language Film 5th place [29]
Russell Smith Award Won
National Society of Film Critics 7 January 2023 Best Foreign Language Film Won [30]
Best Cinematography Michał Dymek Won
Belgian Film Critics Association 8 January 2023 Grand Prix EO Nominated [31]
Toronto Film Critics Association 8 January 2023 Best International Feature Film Runner-up [32]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 9 January 2023 Best International Feature Film Nominated [33]
Austin Film Critics Association 10 January 2023 Best International Film Nominated [34]
Seattle Film Critics Society 17 January 2023 Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated [35]
Online Film Critics Society 23 January 2023 Best Picture 10th place [36]
Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated
London Film Critics' Circle 5 February 2023 Foreign Language Film of the Year Nominated [37]
César Awards 24 February 2023 Best Foreign Film Nominated [38]
Golden Reel Awards 26 February 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature Radosław Ochnio, Marta Weronika Werońska, Suraj Bardia Nominated [39]
Polish Film Awards 3 March 2023 Best Film EO Won [40]
Best Director Jerzy Skolimowski Won
Best Actress Sandra Drzymalska Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Mateusz Kościukiewicz Nominated
Best Screenplay Jerzy Skolimowski, Ewa Piaskowska Won
Best Film Score Paweł Mykietyn Won
Best Cinematography Michał Dymek Won
Best Editing Agnieszka Glińska Won
Best Costume Design Katarzyna Lewińska Nominated
Best Production Design Mirosław Koncewicz Nominated
Best Sound Radosław Ochnio, Marcin Matlak, Marta Weronika Werońska Nominated
Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best International Feature Film Poland Nominated [41]
Golden Trailer Awards 29 June 2023 Best BTS/EPK for a Feature Film (Over 2 minutes) "Donkey" (Jump Cut) Nominated [42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Eo: Jerzy Skolimowski shows us the world through a donkey's eyes". festival-cannes.com. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "EO (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  3. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (18 May 2022). "Jerzy Skolimowski on two-year shoot for Cannes Competition title 'EO'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b "The 75th Festival de Cannes winners' list". festival-cannes.com. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  5. ^ "2023 Oscars Nominations: See the Full List". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 24 January 2023.
  6. ^ MacNab, Geoffrey (16 May 2022). "Cannes Case Study: EO producer on the challenges of filming in Poland and Italy". KFTV. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  7. ^ Katz, David (19 April 2022). "Jerzy Skolimowski returns to the Cannes fray with donkey tale Eo". Cineuropa. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "EO (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  9. ^ a b "EO". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  10. ^ "EO 2022 Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  11. ^ Zilko, Christian (1 December 2022). "'Pacifiction' Tops Cahiers du Cinema's Best Films of 2022 List". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  12. ^ Vlessing, Etan (30 August 2022). "Oscars: Poland Picks 'EO' as International Feature Submission". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  13. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (30 August 2022). "Poland Submits Cannes Jury Prize Winner 'EO' To International Oscar Race". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  14. ^ Bowen, Chuck (12 September 2022). "'EO' Review: A Poetic Reworking of 'Au Hasard Balthazar'". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  15. ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (28 May 2022). "Cannes Film Festival: Ruben Ostlund Wins Second Palme D'Or With 'Triangle Of Sadness' – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  16. ^ Franklin, Anna (30 May 2022). "FNE at Cannes 2022: Cannes Prize Winners". FilmNewsEurope. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  17. ^ "18. Cinefest Miskolci Nemzetközi Filmfesztivál" (PDF). Cinefest (in Hungarian). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  18. ^ "HIFF30: AWARD WINNERS". Hamptons International Film Festival. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  19. ^ Prusakowski, Steven (30 September 2022). "Montclair Film Festival Announces Full 2022 Program". Awards Radar. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  20. ^ Grein, Paul (3 November 2022). "Rihanna, Lady Gaga & More Nominated for 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  21. ^ Davis, Clayton (2 December 2022). "New York Film Critics Circle Announcing 2022 Winners (Updating Live)". Variety. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  22. ^ Jones, Marcus (8 December 2022). "2022 National Board of Review Winners: 'Top Gun: Maverick' Takes Top Honor". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  23. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (8 November 2022). "'Close', 'Holy Spider' & 'Triangle Of Sadness' Lead European Film Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Congratulation to the winners of the Excellence Awards 2022!". European Film Awards. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  25. ^ "EO Wins 7th EUFA 2022". European Film Academy. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  26. ^ Neglia, Matt (11 December 2022). "The 2022 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  27. ^ Kay, Jeremy (12 December 2022). "LA Film Critics name 'Everything Everywhere All At Once', 'TÁR' joint best film winners". Screen International. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  28. ^ Anderson, Erik (10 December 2022). "Washington DC Film Critics nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' 'The Fabelmans' lead". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  29. ^ Neglia, Matt (19 December 2022). "The 2022 Dallas Fort-Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  30. ^ Zilko, Christian (7 January 2023). "'TÁR' and 'Aftersun' Win Big at National Society of Film Critics Awards (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  31. ^ Calbert, Yves (8 January 2023). "«Vortex» remporte le Grand prix 2023 des critiques de cinéma belges". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  32. ^ "AFTERSUN LEADS 26TH ANNUAL TFCA AWARDS WINNERS". Toronto Film Critics Association. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  33. ^ Neglia, Matt (6 January 2023). "The 2022 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  34. ^ "2022 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations". Austin Film Critics Association. 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  35. ^ ""Everything Everywhere All At Once" Leads the 2022 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  36. ^ Neglia, Matt (23 January 2023). "The 2022 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  37. ^ Pulver, Andrew (21 December 2022). "The Banshees of Inisherin leads pack as London film critics announce nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  38. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (25 January 2023). "France's Cesar Awards Nominations Unveiled". Variety. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  39. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (9 January 2023). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads Sound Editors' Golden Reel Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  40. ^ "Orły 2023 rozdane. "IO" najlepszym filmem". Polsat News (in Polish). 7 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  41. ^ Lewis, Hilary (24 January 2023). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  42. ^ Tinoco, Armando (5 June 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards Nominations List: Stranger Things, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ted Lasso & Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Among Most Nominated". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

External links