08/07/2025 - The Polish director talks about representation and parental love in his short, due to screen at Karlovy Vary as part of EFP’s Future Frames

Son of Happiness sees a single father raising Benjamin, his son with Down syndrome. Benjamin wants to be an actor, but prejudice would seem to be robbing him of that dream. But father and son will work together to make sure that anything is possible.

The Polish short by director Dominik Mirecki is a tender examination of the power of parental love. Mirecki has worked as an actor and screenwriter, and he graduated from the Academy of Theatre Arts in Wrocław in 2020. He has starred in productions for Netflix, such as 69'90, whilst his first project as a director was the pilot episode for the series Tell Me. Currently, he is a student at the Warsaw Film School, majoring in Directing, and is waiting for the film to screen as part of EFP’s Future Frames at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Cineuropa: How did this film come to be?
Dominik Mirecki: This story had been inside me for a long time. I'm deeply moved by fatherhood and male relationships – something we rarely talk about. After all, we’re supposed to be tough guys. I wanted to touch on something here that’s crystal clear: the extraordinary love between parents and their children, a love strong enough to move mountains.

Was it easy to find and cast the two leads? There’s perhaps a certain irony in the fact that Benjamin struggles to prove himself as a great actor whilst Jan Skiba proves he is in playing the role.
I first saw Jan on the TV show Down the Road. I saw this incredible guy with a great sense of humour and amazing talent, and I knew right away that I had to create something with him in the future. Jan is fantastic. He’s a born showman. At press events, he usually grabs the microphone and has the whole audience laughing with his honesty and natural charm. As he says himself, he gets his charm from his father.

As for the irony, that’s an interesting observation. But deep down, I don’t think our protagonist’s goal is to become an actor. It’s a fight to simply be part of society, to belong to a group without being excluded. The contest is just a pretext – a space where he can prove that he’s no different from the rest.

Do you think films such as yours are helping to change perspectives on those with Down syndrome?
It was really important to me that our protagonist not be portrayed in a stereotypical way. So often, when a character has Down syndrome, they’re shown as passive, someone we only observe from the outside. I wanted Benjamin to be the driving force of the story – sharp, present, fluent in sarcasm and fully aware of his own limitations. I wanted him to be real, just like in life.

I don’t know if our film will change how people perceive individuals with Down syndrome, but I truly hope it will, even in a small way. I gained a friend through this film. Marek Kalita, who plays the father, also gained a friend – they still call each other from time to time. It was an incredible experience that created a beautiful bond between us. And after all, that’s what this film is really about.

How does your experience in front of the camera inform that of your work behind the camera?
I think my experience in front of the camera helps me communicate with actors. Sometimes, I believe the secret lies in the simplest tools or the smallest notes. From my experience, when actors have so much to focus on (movement, position, lines and so on), a simple, human suggestion can work far better than a half-hour monologue about the character’s backstory. I’m not saying those monologues are bad – they can be great – but what matters is choosing the right approach at the right moment. I try to place a lot of importance on clear communication because, to me, the entire world seems to be built on it.

What will your next film be?
My next film will be titled My Canaan. It tells the story of two immigrants who fled to Poland before the war. They work illegally on renovation jobs. During one assignment, they discover a man’s body in the bathroom. Will they decide to call the police, knowing it could mean deportation? I want it to be an emotional story about moral dilemmas, desperation and the limits of decency – one that leaves the audience asking: “What would I do in their place?”