16/07/2024 - The premier industry event in Poland will showcase a carefully curated selection of 22 film projects at various stages of production

Set to unspool in Wrocław from 21-23 July, the 14th edition of Polish Days will run during the 24th New Horizons International Film Festival (18-28 July). The leading industry event will present an exciting array of highly anticipated Polish films. Highlighting 22 diverse projects at various stages of production, the line-up features four completed films, eight works in progress and ten projects in development. Polish Days thus offers a comprehensive snapshot of the nation's cinematic achievements, making it a cornerstone of the festival.

In the category of completed films, in Go Against the Flow, set in the late 1970s, Wiesław Paluch (Motorcycle) depicts a group of teenagers from Ustrzyki Dolne who form the punk-rock band KSU, inspired by the Sex Pistols and London’s punk culture. Their rebellious activities attract the attention of the SB secret service, which launches an investigation to suppress the punk movement. Jan P Matuszyński (Leave No Traces [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Jan P Matuszyński
film profile]) presents Minghun, a poignant tale of Jurek and his Chinese father-in-law, Ben, who embark on a metaphorical journey in search of the ideal deceased husband for Jurek’s daughter Marysia, following her passing. Meanwhile, Adrian Panek's (Werewolf [+see also:
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interview: Adrian Panek
film profile]) biographical drama Simona Kossak follows the titular individual who, rebelling against her famous family of painters, becomes a scientist in Białowieża in 1972. Despite some initial challenges, her determination leads to significant research on deer and a lifelong partnership with photographer Lech Wilczek. Additionally, Wilhelm Sasnal's (The Sun, the Sun Blinded Me [+see also:
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interview: Anka and Wilhelm Sasnal
film profile]) The Assistant tells the story of Joseph Marti, a bookbinder who quits his job and becomes an assistant to inventor Tobler in an early 20th-century villa. As Tobler's ambitious plans falter and family tensions rise, Joseph's role expands, but ultimately, he decides to leave owing to increasing abuse and financial desperation.

Among the eight works in progress on the agenda, Dead by Dawn by Dawid Torrone stands out as a horror flick where playwright Heissenberg orchestrates a deadly game in his family's mysterious theatre. He aims to summon the antichrist through a secret ritual on a stormy Christmas Eve. Michał Ciechomski's drama Kingdom unfolds in a nation on the brink of war, where Dawid loses his job amid political turmoil. Forced into the militant Black Spider group after a tragic accident involving his brother, Dawid finds unexpected love and redemption amidst escalating conflict, unwittingly becoming a soldier as he navigates the group's inner circles of hell. Teresa Zofia Czepiec's My Heart My Enemy follows nine-year-old Sara's journey to Belgium to find her birth mother, Joanna, only to confront the harsh reality of Joanna's new family. Sara's quest for reconciliation leads to emotional turmoil and a search for belonging within her new Belgian family, despite revelations and uncertainties. In Łukasz Grzegorzek's (My Wonderful Life [+see also:
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interview: Łukasz Grzegorzek
film profile]) romantic thriller Romantic Psychos, Jan obsessively monitors his ex-wife Lena from across the street, using technology to interfere in her relationship with Barker. Jan's interventions to sabotage their romance unexpectedly lead to complex emotional entanglements.

Meanwhile, Travel Essentials by Kamila Tarabura chronicles US journalist Ada's discovery of a mysterious book from her past acquaintance Roksana, triggering a journey to uncover Roksana's traumatic childhood secrets in their Silesian hometown. Damian Kocur's (Bread and Salt [+see also:
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interview: Damian Kocur
film profile]) Under the Volcano [+see also:
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interview: Damian Kocur
film profile] portrays a Ukrainian family's holiday on Tenerife, suddenly transformed into a refugee crisis through the perspective of 16-year-old Sofia, navigating guilt and strained family dynamics amidst what initially seemed like an idyllic vacation overshadowed by the spectre of war.

The selection concludes with two documentaries. One is Aleksandra Maciuszek's Four Winters in Edificio Cuba, which traces Yeison's upbringing in Havana's endangered Edificio Cuba over eight years, offering a poignant view of childhood amidst societal change in the country. Finally, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz and Liliana Komorowska's Wajda celebrates Andrzej Wajda's cinematic journey from Cannes acclaim for Canal to receiving the Honorary Oscar in 2000, with testimonials and insights shaping a comprehensive tribute to his enduring legacy.

Here is the complete selection of the projects participating in New Horizons Polish Days 2024:

Completed films

Go Against the Flow - Wiesław Paluch
Producers: Wiesław Paluch, Tadeusz Król (SuperConic)

Minghun - Jan P Matuszyński
Producers: Klaudiusz Frydrych, Krzysztof Rak, Inga Kruk (Wonder Films)

Simona Kossak - Adrian Panek
Producers: Agata Szymańska, Magdalena Kamińska (Balapolis)

The Assistant - Wilhelm Sasnal
Producers: Wilhelm Sasnal, Sadie Coles HQ (Wilhelm Sasnal)

Works in progress

Dead by Dawn - Dawid Torrone
Producers: Kinga Tasarek, Katarzyna Kostecka (Larmo)

Four Winters in Edificio Cuba - Aleksandra Maciuszek
Producers: Aleksandra Maciuszek, Valerie Montmartin, Claudia Calviño, Santiago de la Paz (New Plot Films, Little Big Story)

Kingdom - Michał Ciechomski
Producers: Jerzy Kapuściński, Ewa Jastrzębska, Magdalena Tomanek, Katarzyna Malinowska (Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association)

My Heart My Enemy - Teresa Zofia Czepiec
Producer: Mikołaj Pokromski (Pokromski Studio)

Romantic Psychos - Łukasz Grzegorzek
Producer: Natalia Grzegorzek (Koskino)

Travel Essentials - Kamila Tarabura
Producers: Andrzej Muszyński, Renata Męcina (ATM Grupa)

Under the Volcano [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Damian Kocur
film profile] - Damian Kocur
Producers: Mikołaj Lizut, Agnieszka Jastrzębska (Lizart Film)

Wajda - Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz, Liliana Komorowska
Producers: Daria Maślona, Stanisław Zaborowski (Silver Frame)

Pitching of projects in development

A Door to the Woods - Jola Kudela
Producer: Piotr Dzięcioł (Opus Film)

Angels Don’t Exist - Natasza Parzymies
Producers: Beata Rzeźniczek, Marcin Łuczaj (Madants)

Another Soul - Marcin Filipowicz
Producers: Izabela Wójcik, Violetta Kamińska, Dariusz Jabłoński (Apple Film Production)

Black Water - Aga Woszczyńska
Producer: Agnieszka Wasiak (Lava Films)

Chopin, Chopin! - Michał Kwieciński
Producer: Michał Kwieciński (Akson Studio)

Escape from the Dark Valley - Jan Holoubek
Producer: Anna Waśniewska-Gill (Wonder X)

La Manche - Damian Kocur
Producers: Anna Gawlita, Marta Szymanowska (Kijora Film)

Miss Kebab - Natalia Koryncka-Gruz
Producer: Natalia Koryncka-Gruz (Eureka Studio)

Sacred Law - Bartosz Kruhlik
Producer: Kuba Kosma (Serce)

Tell Me What You Feel - Łukasz Ronduda
Producer: Natalia Grzegorzek (Koskino)