04/02/2011

Wojciech Smarzowski, who is considered one of Poland’s most important contemporary directors and won acclaim for The Dark House in 2008 (winner of Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Gdynia Film Festival), is currently shooting a new feature, Rose from Mazury.

Scripted by Michal Szczerbic, the film is set in 1945-1946 in the Mazury region in North East Poland, an area that became Polish again in 1945 after being under German control. The story centres on Mazurian woman Rose (Agata Kulesza) and Polish man Tadeusz (Marcin Dorociński).

The war (an omnipresent theme in the film) has brought Rose the worst imaginable misfortunes. In this drama, there doesn’t at first appear to be any room for love and yet it arrives in the form of a “difficult love, in the ruins", according to the director.

Lensed by DoP Piotr Sobociński Jr, Smarzowski’s film is not just about individuals. It also sketches the social portrait of those who, with the help of anti-Nazi propaganda, were considered the worst kind of citizens by the new communist government. These citizens nonetheless fought for life and honour, in the face of two nationalisms.

Produced by Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych, Rose from Mazury is co-produced by Perspektywa studios, Oko, Tor and Lightcraft Warsaw. The film’s €1.32m budget also includes €625,000 in backing from the Polish Film Institute. Polish distribution and international sales rights have been acquired by Monolith Films.

(Translated from French)