Polish film director Wrona found dead during film festival

At a press conference on Saturday morning, artistic director of the festival Michał Oleszczyk said that “we pass on our deepest condolences to his wife and his nearest and dearest.

“We would also like to join the family's own appeal, that the best way of showing respect to the deceased is to refrain from speculation concerning the reasons for his death.

“We will leave that matter to the police.”

Wrona, who was born in the city of Tarnów in southern Poland in 1973, was considered one of the brightest talents of his generation in the Polish film industry,

His latest film 'Demon' was one of the 18 films competing in the main competion of Gdynia Film Festival.

The event provides the key annual showcase of new Polish movies.

'Demon' hinges on a dybbuk, the spirit of a dead person who according to Jewish mythology haunts the living.

The film, Wrona's third, was an unconventional approach to Poland's coming to terms with the Holocaust.

The awards for this year's festival's are due to given out on Saturday night.

The director had just returned to Poland following the film’s success as the Toronto Film Festival.

Canadian culture website Exclaim wrote about “Demon” that “Marcin Wrona delivers an atypical take on the traditional possession tale with an expectation-flouting supernatural thriller that is as subtly menacing as it is unexpectedly funny and tender.” (nh/rg/rk)