Napoleon Dynamite

If you happen to drop by the town of Preston, Idaho, you’ll be surprised to see how many places sell pins referencing Napoleon Dynamite with the slogan “Vote for Pedro.” Over 20 years ago, when Jared Hess began making his film, such expressions of local identity were rather rare there. Preston was like thousands of similar small towns scattered across the country, offering comfort through its anonymous, subdued character.

From the perspective of many American families, it might seem like the perfect neighborhood—but it’s not so welcoming for the film’s main character, a coming-of-age boy with unconventional interests. He spends his days arguing with his family, awkwardly trying to build relationships at school, and muttering “Gosh!” under his breath—which perfectly sums up his relationship with the world around him.

Napoleon Dynamite is like The Last Picture Show for the nerd and geek generation of the early 21st century—it tells the story of their orbiting on the margins of local communities and the difficult process of stepping out of the shadow forced upon them by the harsh realities of their peers’ world. Hess’s work fit into a new, independent sensibility of its time, one that sought acceptance even in the most extreme forms of eccentricity.

przed seansami wstęp Jana Lubaczewskiego i Macieja Satory

before the screenings intro by Jan Lubaczewski and Maciej Satora