The Magic Mountain

A Polish citizen who came to Paris as a refugee in the sixties, Adam Jacek Winkler’s adventurous life takes a radical turn in the eighties. Dreaming of himself as a modern, 20th century knight, Jacek leaves France to fight against the Russians beside Commander Massoud in Afghanistan.

“Winkler is a romantic hero, one of these knights in shining armour whose origins are deeply rooted in the history of humanity. His life makes sense in the fight against evil, which has to be carried on until death. He can be considered by turn as a madman, an eccentric or an adventurer. There is both idealism and pathos in this life ... but always in adequacy with his conscience and his values.”

The Magic Mountain associates visually both “real elements” and drawings, to create an impression of surreality. The real elements are in part taken from the personal archives of Adam Jacek Winkler, photos where he appears and others taken in Afghanistan. There are also references to the history of cinema, especially silent films and films in black and white.