Discoveries from Poland World Cinema

The heat is so intense that the electronics are overheating. A short circuit occurs at the travelling funfair. The queues come to a halt, the lights go out, the hubbub ceases; only a few sounds can be heard from the rubbish bin.

A psychological horror that explores the paralyzing grip of social anxiety and the devastating consequences of hiding mental health struggles from a partner in adulthood.

22-year-old Diana is planning to move to England with her 4-year-old son. Her partner – the child’s father – has been living there for several years. Everything is ready: the suitcases are packed, and all Diana has to do is go and pick up her beloved from the station. When they finally reunite and Diana can finally breathe a sigh of relief, things begin to get complicated.

A summer day. In the middle of a rollerblading ride, you stop by a building long out of use. You don’t come there to swim - there’s no water in the pool. You bring your friend. Besides, neither of you can swim. But what if the pool were filled with imagined water?

The funeral of Countess Bowes-Lyon, mother of Queen Elizabeth. The funeral procession departs from the walls of her residence, Glamis Castle in Scotland. This production is the closest to the procession and has the best view of her final resting place.

The next installment of the Miki Mol's biography.

As an exercise in political influence, film schools in the socialist Eastern bloc opened their doors to students from the Global South. While dozens of films from that period remain in the Lodz Film School archives, the offspring of those visitors and their Polish partners are more visible, and now claim the acknowledgment denied to the images, in a racist Europe.

Accompanied by a happy, marching soundtrack, this experimental animation inter-cuts spinning childhood toys with brooding violence and military force. The sly critique extends to film itself, where the hand-drawn time code mimics the digital precision of video.

Like warriors preparing for battle, these labourers strap on all manner of protective equipment before going to work down on their hands and knees in molten tar, road-laying. The final application of paint markings indicates a job well done, but with the terrifying fall of a pickax, the cycle begins again.

A father goes on holiday with his son and two of his friends, during which time they make an amateur horror film together. As the years pass, they continue to shoot scenes for their “handcrafted,” carefree, imaginative horror project, with even more passion, dutiful consistency, and unwavering commitment: the documentary chronicles a decade of this beautiful adventure, as Maciej and the kids become a group of people who grow up… and yet somehow still manage to grow younger together.

In an avant garde short film, a young man experiences a somewhat otherworldly experience when met with a naked incarnation of the blue soup he made.

A psychiatrist retreats to a remote house with his wife and her mentally disabled brother to finish a book on the therapeutic use of the psychodelic compound DMT. But the stillness of the countryside soon gives way to disturbing phenomena, as the boundary between dream and reality begins to dissolve.

An award-winning documentary following bison ranger Donovan Wright as he journeys to Poland’s ancient Białowieża Forest, uncovering how Europe’s gentle giants are transforming entire ecosystems. Bringing these insights home, Don returns to the UK with a renewed understanding of what it truly means to live alongside wildlife, furthering his work to restore nature and reconnect the next generation through his work with Wildwood Trust.

Documentary about the directors Stefan and Franciszka Themerson

"Living with the Taliban" offers a powerful glimpse into post-2021 Afghanistan. Through personal stories, it shows the experiences of regime supporters and those whose lives have changed, highlighting the struggle between hope and despair.

A computer-animated short film depicting a playful wandering of a small green square among mirrors.

A funny little story about a puppy.

Members of the neighboring state arrive in the capital to declare war. Not only infantry, but also artillery, tanks and air forces are involved in the war.

The ghost of a possessed girl, trapped for centuries within a stone, encounters the director’s 102-year-old grandmother. What begins as a haunting becomes a tender dialogue, as archival, staged and documentary footage blur.

The stars of this documentary demonstrate that age is not an obstacle in an active and happy life.

An outstanding South Korean violinist, Bomsori Kim, is preparing to perform Grażyna Bacewicz’s ‘Polish Rhapsody’ for violin and orchestra. The piece had its premiere in 1950, when it was played by the composer herself. Seventy-five years later, it returns to the stage in Kim’s interpretation.