Cineuropa can exclusively unveil the trailer for Blossoming, ahead of its world premiere in Locarno’s Semaine de la Critique (see the news).

In her intimate documentary debut, Polish cinematographer and filmmaker Kamila Serwicka turns the camera on her own family. Eight years after leaving her village near Kielce, Serwicka returns home to film her mother, Agnieszka. Having remained in the village, where she works behind the counter of a local grocery shop, Agnieszka has raised three daughters while enduring an abusive marriage. What begins as an attempt to tell her story gradually expands to encompass Serwicka’s two younger sisters, her grandmother and her father.

Shot over the course of five years, beginning during the COVID-19 winter of 2020, Blossoming observes the family’s daily routines and most private spaces as long-suppressed experiences begin to be voiced. Its focus ultimately shifts from the legacy of domestic violence to the possibility of liberation, tracing how five women confront their shared past, and attempt to reclaim agency and happiness.

Serwicka also wrote and lensed the pic. Adrianna Rędzia produced it, with co-financing from the Polish Film Institute and support from dok.incubator. Julia Oleksy and Jakub Darewski edited, whilst Joanna Szczęsnowicz composed the score and handled the sound design.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: