“LOVE GONE WRONG”
A modern-day love-story that starts with an online dating app and turns into a living nightmare, cynical and yet deeply romantic Jeremy begins to suspect his free spirited girlfriend Dagmara is a duplicitous manipulator gaslighting him and his family to cover up her affair with his hedonistic brother. Even Jeremy’s overly optimistic parents begin questioning his mental state, until it’s revealed that Dagmara may have gotten away with the ultimate deception.
See the 4 min Proof of Concept Short Film, which gives you a sense of what you can expect from the upcoming feature.
Inspired by the stand-up act of Chinese American comedian Edwin Li, THE PURPLE ONION is a dark comedy that follows comedian/dishwasher Johnny Lee (Edwin Li), who struggles with loneliness and self-doubt as he tries to make it as a stand-up comic in San Francisco. His life is further complicated by the arrival of a mysterious older woman, Jeanie (Noreen Lee), a family friend or maybe a distant relative who’s down on her luck and looking for change. While constantly at odds with one another, Johnny and Jeanie search for purpose in their lives as a mutual sexual fascination develops.
The Purple Onion is masterfully crafted.
-- Shuffle Online
A perverse, Asian-American Napoleon Dynamite.
-- Flickchart
There are occasional echoes of Todd Solondz’s corrosive character assassinations here – the illustrated poster artwork for The Purple Onion recalls the promotional design for Solondz’s vicious satire Happiness (1998) – although Szymanowski is not nearly as misanthropic in his take on selfish behavior.
-- VCinema (John Berra)
A man has just committed a brutal crime. His wife comes home with the intent of telling him she wants a divorce. On this day both of their dark secrets come to light.
(7 min fiction)
Staring Tanya Fear and Sebastien Cipolla
Written & Directed by Matt Szymanowski
Cinematography by John Orphan
Story by Matt Szymanowski & Sebastien Cipolla
Score by David Klotz
Post by Fixafilm
- PRESS -
WILDSOUND Festival
Interview || https://matthewtoffolo.com/2020/12/28/interview-with-filmmaker-matt-szymanowski-dark-day/
"The ache of a relationship slowly disintegrating is honestly and vividly captured in this road movie with no clear destination."
(Matt Szymanowski, Poland 2008, 32 min)
—Audrey Chang
Screenings:
Premiere at Gdynia Festival of Polish Films 2008
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2009
Warsaw International Film Festival 2009
ÉCU European Independent Film Festival 2009 (Special Jury Prize Award)
San Francisco International Film Festival 2009
Tirana International Film Festival in Albania 2010
Written, directed & edited by Matt Szymanowski
Produced by The Polish National Film School & Matt Szymanowski
Cinematography by Yori Fabian
Shot on 16mm film.
A woman on the verge of a crisis is captivated by the charm of a young and attractive home appliance salesman in spite of her seemingly stable home life.
(22 min fiction)
Written & Directed by Matt Szymanowski
Cinematography by Paul Latallo
Story by Matt Szymanowski & Paul Latallo
Editing by Paul Latallo & Matt Szymanowski
Produced by Magda Nebelska at the National Polish Film School in Lodz
Distributed on Kino Polska in Poland.