International Competition

Using stylistic techniques such as time-lapse filming, this documentary charts the nerve-racking daily existence of a Polish paparazzi photographer. Chases, swearing matches, and gum chewing mouths fill the screen, accompanied by a soundtrack of drags on cigarettes, squeals of car tires, and the frenzied clicking of cameras. The days on the street are long; snooping and prowling, waiting for that one shot. These scenes alternate with candid interviews with the photographer in the peace and quiet of a forest, where he explains his motivation. ‘I sometimes steal people's privacy. But the public needs it. They used to put five lions in a cage with one guy.’The photographer is aware that being a member of the paparazzi means you're on a slippery slope: ‘Becoming a motherfucker is a process you go through consciously.' 'Paparazzi' shows why photographers are so keen on becoming ‘motherfuckers.’ What would you do if you heard that the convicted director Roman Polanski was holed up in a chalet somewhere, and you could earn half a million euros with just a single blurry image of his face?