BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Exam

Jan Naszewski | 2025 | 16m | France, Poland | International

A pair of sensitive thirty-somethings are asked to be a model couple during their therapist's exam session. A therapist, an international committee, the worst interpreter and the hidden frustrations of the spouses. What could possibly go wrong?

Credits

Director, Writer & Producer
Jan Naszewski

Reviews

Written by Jack McKenzie
Flinders University Bachelor of Creative Industries (Film and Television) Student

Exam, directed by Jan Neszewski, is a sharply observed and hilariously awkward short film that dissects human relationships, communication breakdowns, and the absurdity of bureaucracy, all within the confines of a therapist’s exam session. Winner of Best International, this gem stands out for its perfect writing, impeccable performances, and tonal balance between comedy and emotional honesty.

The film follows a pair of adults who agree to act as a “model couple” for their therapist’s certification exam. What begins as a polite, slightly uncomfortable situation spirals into a brilliant farce of mistranslations and pent-up frustrations. Between the therapist trying to impress an international committee, an interpreter who is inept, and a couple with unresolved emotional baggage, Exam becomes a study of chaos, both painfully relatable and wildly entertaining.

Neszewski’s direction is crisp and confident, using tight framing and clever pacing to heighten the tension as every misunderstanding compounds into greater discomfort. The humour is dry, precise, and unrelenting, but beneath the laughter lies a nuanced critique of how people perform in relationships, work, and even therapy. Each character’s attempt to maintain control only exposes their vulnerability, making the comedy even more human.

The performances are excellent. The actors bring depth and authenticity to roles that could easily have tipped into caricature. The couple’s growing exasperation feels genuine, while the therapist’s desperate professionalism becomes both funny and heartbreaking. Neszewski captures every eye twitch, forced smile, and awkward pause, turning micro expressions into moments of cinematic brilliance.

What makes Exam truly deserving of its award is its universality. Regardless of language or culture. The discomfort of being misunderstood is something everyone can relate to. Through impeccable craft and sharp humour, Exam reminds us that even in moments of chaos, there’s beauty in our shared human flaws.

Written by Tom Venus
Flinders University Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) Student

I found Exam to be a refreshing film, as it was a testament to the power of a good screenplay. Aside from the vivid green titles, the film has a no-frills black-and-white visual style that helps to focus the audience’s attention on the main story – the relationships between the characters.

The film follows Jurek and Goska, a Polish couple going to relationship therapy together. On this session, their therapist is being evaluated by an external committee of therapists who are sitting in. Worried that they are ‘not the right couple’ and not wanting ‘the poor guy to flunk’, they agree to just ‘talk about the light stuff’ and leave drama out of the conversation. Immediately before the session, they are informed that the ‘committee’ will be larger than expected – two therapists, one of whom is visiting from the UK and has a translator with them. With this in mind, we enter the room and their couples therapy session begins.

At first, it goes well. But the interference of the committee, phone calls, and an urging of their counsellor to speak frankly led to them discussing their relationship using toys as stand-ins for themselves. The presence of the ‘committee’ casts an uneasy shadow over these interactions to comedic effect. The situation awkwardly unfolds until Jurek is angered by the spectating therapists’ not writing notes about him.

Ranting about his perceived flaws, Jurek promises to be ‘relaxed’ and ‘cool’, and in an anticlimax, he upturns a rubbish bin over his head. The assessors look on with dismay, and the therapist seems resigned that they will fail, but Jurek and Goska make peace and leave. In a cathartic ending sequence, Jurek and Goska stride out of the building in a slow-motion shot backed by upbeat retro music, now confident in their relationship.