First Stills From Christopher Doyle's IZOLATOR aka WARSAW DARK!

A week or so back we brought first word on Izolator, the sophomore directorial effort from legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle and today the film's Polish production company, Ozumi Films, granted us an early look at the very first stills and behind the scenes shots from the film. Not surprisingly, they're looking great. Here's the synopsis:

Warsaw by night, a restaurant by the river. Ojka, young and beautiful “call girl” runs out to the parking lot. Lured by her charm, an aging politician follows her. He doesn’t realize, that Ojka is only a bait, and he himself is in a few minutes going to die. That's how Warsaw Dark begins, a political thriller with a strong erotic motive.

This film features a world where business pervades politics, there are no fair rules of the game, and anyone who has entered this matrix is marked forever. To some, this world will be a story in its own right, and to others, however, merely a backdrop of a big love. The plot is based on the sensational, authentic, yet so far unresolved case of the mysterious murder of Jacek Dębski, the one-time boss of he Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism, in 2001.

Continue on for the complete cast and crew list and hit the link below for the image gallery.

PRODUCED BY - MARIANNA ROWIŃSKA, OZUMI FILMS
CO-PRODUCERS - MARIUSZ ŁUKOMSKI
- PIOTR WOŹNIAK STARAK
- WŁODZIMIERZ WRÓBLEWSKI
CO-FOUNDED BY - POLISH FILM INSTITUTE
DIRECTOR - CHRISTOPHER DOYLE
SCREENPLAY - MACIEJ PISAREK
CAMERA OPERATOR - RAIN KATHY LI

LINE PRODUCER - JANUSZ B. CZECH
VISUAL CONSULTANT - PETER KUNC
PRODUCTION DESIGNER - ROBERT CZESAK
COSTIUME DESIGNER - ADA WESOŁOWSKA
MAKE - UP - LILIANA GAŁĄZKA
EDITOR - MARCIN KOT BASTKOWSKI
SOUND - PAWEŁ ŁUCZYC-WYHOWSKI
1ST AD - JEROME DASSIER

ACTORS

ERNEST - JAN FRYCZ
OJKA - ANNA PRZYBYLSKA
GROTTGER - ADAM FERENCY
ŻONA GROTTGERA - VIOLETTA ARLAK
PAUL - ŁUKASZ SIMLAT
GEORGE - LESŁAW ŻUREK
LEWY - JERZY BOŃCZAK
REMIK - JACEK PONIEDZIAŁEK

CHARACTER PROFILES

Ernest

Fiftyish, well-heeled by the local standards and hence a snappy dresser. Though a hatchet man of the powers that be, he is not your ordinary hit man but is assigned tasks that require that he do his own thinking and show some sophistication. A ruthless bastard capable of anything, he is morphed to a sensitive loving guy. He falls in love and that's what consequently effects the change.
Meeting Ojka brings out his better self in him. Hence he is more of a hero than a heavy.

Ojka

Twentysomething of a spectacular beauty. Though her financial status is not clear, we can assume that she can manage quite well, high-class call girl that she is. She can afford to help her mother and sister anyway. She takes good care of herself , but the truth is that she does not have to. After all you don't gild the lily. The true beauty, that is. We find her adorable despite her daily call-girl stints. As the plot thickens, Ojka undergoes a transformation, due to her troubled love of Ernest.

Grottger

A fiftyish police inspector, experienced and proficient enough to be assigned celebrated cases. His financial status? Too well-off to call him a pauper, and far too needy to envy him; just like any honest cop. One thing is sure, though: Every dozen years he can afford a holiday on Majorca. He is definitely on the side of the angels, but uses profane language, bends the rules, and is very mean to bad guys, which explains why we think him a positive character.

Grottger's wife

The fortysomething wife of a police inspector, whose trade is indeterminate. Her financial status – like that of other cops' wives. What she lacks in the pocket, she makes up for with the conviction that her man saves the world; hence his fame rubs off on her a bit. She loves her husband but sometimes finds it hard to express it tenderly. She wants him to have it good and tries to connect with him. A positive but a tad amusing character, full of peculiar warmth.

George and Paul.

Grottger's assistants, both thirtysomething.
George has joined the force with his own baggage of street life experience.
Paul's police job, however, runs in the family.
Both are good guys and amusing at that.

Lewy

Sixtyish, secretive, inconspicuous-looking, but very dangerous. He takes hard pains to keep a low profile, not to let anybody pry into his personal affairs, which pans out. Likewise with his money. His trade calls for discretion. And what is his trade anyway? He procures high-rolling investors in the money girls that will become wives and will spy on a well-known politician. Lewy epitomizes a real bad guy in this story.

Remik

Thirtysomething who loves to have girls around. As a matter of fact most of them work for him. He likes to call himself their agent, or manager, but the reality is quite ordinary. Remik is Ojka's 'protector.' She and the other girls bring him a lot of dough, after all. So Remik can afford fashionable duds and a prestigious-looking pimpsmobile. He tries to pass for the silent and cultured type, which is the most terrifying and sinister about him. Though not evil incarnate, he can hardly win our sympathy.

BIOGRAPHIES

CHRISTOPHER DOYLE
A world-class cinematographer, frequent guest at the Camerimage festival, where he has seminars and workshops and has often rivaled for awards. His hot meetings with students during the Camerimage are already the stuff of local legends.
He is the cinematographer of such noted films as:
• „2046” (2004)
• „Last Life in the Universe" (2003)
• "Hero"(2002)
• "The Quiet American" (2002)
• "Rabbit-Proof Fence" (2002)
• "In the Mood for Love" (2000)
His cooperation with Wong Kar-Wai is the most important highlight of his career. Besides the “2046” and “In the Mood for Love” they shot together:
• "Happy Together" (1998)
• "Fallen Angels" (1995)
• "Ashes of Time" (1994)
• "Chungking Express" (1993)
“Warsaw Dark” is the second feature film of this extraordinary filmaker who is well known for his outstanding visual style. But above all it’s his original personality that makes out of every movie he is involved in an imaginary journey.

JAN FRYCZ
Filmography:
• 1982 – Wielki Szu – directed by Sylwester Chęciński
• 1987 – Na srebrnym globie – directed by Andrzej Żuławski
• 1990 – Pożegnanie jesieni – directed by Mariusz Treliński
• 1991 – Obywatel świata – directed by Roland Rowiński
• 1993 – Dwa księżyce – directed by Andrzej Barański
• 1995 – Horror w Wesołych Bagniskach (The Horror In Wesołe Bagniska)– directed by Andrzej Barański
• 1995 – Łagodna – directed by Mariusz Treliński
• 1995 – Pestka – directed by Krystyna Janda
• 1996 – Dzieci i ryby – directed by Jacek Bromski
• 1996 – Nocne graffiti – directed by Maciej Dutkiewicz
• 1999 – Egzekutor – directed by Filip Zylber
• 2000 – Egoiści (The Egoists) – directed by Mariusz Treliński
• 2003 – Pornografia (Pornography) – directed by Jan Jakub Kolski
• 2004 – Nigdy w życiu! – directed by Ryszard Zatorski
• 2004 – Pręgi (Welsts) – directed byMagdalena Piekorz
• 2005 – Komornik (The Collector) – directed by Feliks Falk
• 2006 – Francuski numer – directed by Robert Wichrowski
• 2006 – Tylko mnie kochaj – directed byRyszard Zatorski

Film Awards:
• 2005 – WELTS - The Eagle Polish Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2004
• 2004 – PORNOGRAPHY - The Eagle Polish Film Award for Best Actor in 2003
• 2003 – TAM I Z POWROTEM - The Eagle Polish Film Award nominated for Best Supporting Actor
• 2003 – PORNOGRAPHY – Gdynia, Polish Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2002
• 2002 – Egoists – The Eagle Polish Film Award nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2001
• 2001 – ZAKOCHANI – The Eagle Polish Film Award nominated dot Best Supporting Actor in 2000.

ANNA PRYBYLSKA

An epitome of sex and femininity. A silver screen TV serials. The star with a Margaret Astor face.

Filmography:
• 1997 - Złotopolscy – TV serial, directed by Janusz Zaorski
• 1997 – Ciemna strona Wenus (The Dard Side of Wenus) - directed by Radosław Piwowarski
• 2000 – Sezon na leszcza – directed by Bogusław Linda
• 2002 – Dzień świra (The Day of Wacko) - directed by Marek Koterski
• 2002 – Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy – directed by Jacek Bromski
• 2002 – Superprodukcja (Super Production) - directed by Juliusz Machulski
• 2005 – RH+ - directed by Jarosław Żamojda
• 2007 – Lekcje Pana Kuki – directed by Dariusz Gajewski
• 2007 – Ryś – directed by Stanisław Tym
• 2007 – Dlaczego nie – reż. Ryszard Zatorski

Film Awards:
• 2005 the Good Humor Festival the Bowler Hat Statuette for Best Comic Actress

ADAM FERENCY
Filmography:
• 1976 – Zdjęcia próbne – directed byAgnieszka Holland
• 1977 – Akcja pod Arsenałem – directed by Jan Łomnicki
• 1978 – Aktorzy profesjonalni – directed by Agnieszka Holland
• 1980 – Gorączka – directed by Agnieszka Holland
• 1981 – Człowiek z żelaza (Man of Iron) – directed by Andrzej Wajda
• 1982 - Matka królów (The Mother of Kings) – directed by Janusz Zaorski
• 1982 - Przesłuchanie (Questions)– directed by Ryszard Bugajski
• 1983 – Nadzór – directed by Wiesław Saniewski
• 1984 – Bez końca – directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
• 1985 – Jezioro Bodeńskie – directed by Janusz Zaorski
• 1990 – Pożegnanie jesieni – directed by Mariusz Treliński
• 1995 – Pułkownik Kwiatkowski – directed by Kazimierz Kutz
• 1996 – Dzieci i ryby (Seen and Not Heard) – directed by Jacek Bromski
• 1996 – Nocne graffiti – directed by Maciej Dutkiewicz
• 1998 – Złoto dezerterów – directed by Janusz Majewski
• 1999 – Fuks – directed by Maciej Dutkiewicz
• 1999 – Ogniem i mieczem (With Fire and Sword) – directed by Jerzy Hoffman
• 2003 – Pornografia – directed by Jan Jakub Kolski
• 2006 – Jasminum - directed by Jan Jakub Kolski
• 2006 – Palimpsest – directed by Konrad Niewolski

Nagrody filmowe:
• 2007 – JASMINUM – The Eagle Polish Film Award nominated for Best Supporting Actor
• 2006 – NIANIA – Gdańsk, the Good Humor Festival the Bowler Hat Statuette for Best Comic Actor
• 1991 – KANALIA – Gdynia, Polish Film Festiwal, Special Award for Best Actor

ŁUKASZ SIMLAT

A celebrated and highly regarded silver screen actor with many theater awards under his belt.
Filmography:
• 2003 – 2005 – Defekt – directed by Maciej Dutkiewicz
• 2003 – Warszawa (Warsaw)– directed by Dariusz Gajewski
• 2003 – Zerwany – directed by Jacek Filipiak
• 2004 – Vinci – directed by Juliusz Machulski
• 2005 – Kochankowie z Marony – directed by Izabella Cywińska
• 2005 – Pitbull (Pit Bull) – directed by Patryk Vega
• 2006 – Statyści (The Extras) – directed by Michał Kwieciński
• 2007 – Hania – directed by Janusz Kamiński
• 2007 – Lekcje Pana Kuki – directed by Dariusz Gajewski
• 2007 – U Pana Boga w ogródku – directed byJacek Bromski
• 2008 – Nie kłam kochanie – directed by Piotr Wereśniak

JACEK PONIEDZIAŁEK
Filmography:
• 1999 – Moja Angelika – directed by Stanisław Kuźnik
• 2003 – Przemiany – directed by Łukasz Barczyk
• 2003 – M jak miłość – TV serial
• 2004 – Trzeci – directed by Jan Hryniak
• 2007 – Boisko bezdomnych – directed by Kasia Adamik
• 2007 – Magda M. – TV serial

VIOLETTA ARLAK
Filmography:
• 2002 – Przedwiośnie – TV serial
• 2003 – Na dobre i na złe – TV serial
• 2003 – Warszawa (Warsaw) – directed by Dariusz Gajewski
• 2004 – Pręgi (Welts) – directed by Magdalena Piekorz
• 2006 – Dublerzy – directed by Marcin Ziębiński