Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland Reveals Full Program

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center is pleased to announce the complete festival program and schedule for its annual Chicago European Union Film Festival. This highly anticipated annual event will take place at the Gene Siskel Film Center from Friday, March 7, through Thursday, March 20. 

Celebrating its 28th year, the festival will showcase a dynamic lineup of 20 Polish productions and co-productions, including 13 new titles—and 12 Chicago premieres—alongside classics from filmmakers including Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Andrzej Wajda. Meet filmmakers joining us from Poland, and enjoy tastes from the country with a mouth-watering array of Polish delicacies (including pierogi, paczki, and kolaczki) at receptions and concessions. 

The festival will kick off with the Chicago premiere of the gripping drama WHITE COURAGE, which won multiple awards at the  2024 Polish Film Festival, including Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay, with the film’s director, Marcin Koszlka, in person. Other festival highlights include Poland’s submission to the Academy Awards for Oscar consideration, UNDER THE VOLCANO, a sensitive and authentic portrait of displacement, when a Ukrainian family on holiday become refugees after Russia invades their homeland; Maria Zbąska’s assured and uncompromising story of modern love, IT’S NOT MY FILM, with Zbąska in attendance; and Andrzej Wajda’s urgent and electrifying vision of Poland on the last day of WWII, the acclaimed ASHES AND DIAMONDS, on 35mm. 

“We’re thrilled to spotlight Polish cinema and Polish filmmakers for this year’s festival,” said Gene Siskel Film Center Director of Programming Rebecca Fons. “Our eclectic selection of award-winning new films, fresh off the festival circuit, the majority of which are making their Chicago premiere, play side-by-side with some of the most significant Polish cinema from the last sixty years. For devotees of Polish cinema or those new to the country’s rich cinematic history, it will be a rewarding two weeks at the Film Center.”

Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland Highlights

• Opening Night, March 7: Kick off the festivities with the Chicago premiere of WHITE COURAGE, a gripping drama which portrays the little-known history of the Polish Highlanders during World War II, with director Marcin Koszałka in attendance. Followed by a pierogi and kolaczki reception generously sponsored by Kasia’s Deli. 

• Sunday, March 9: Damian Kocur’s transnational family drama, and Poland’s submission for Best International Feature to this year’s Academy Awards, UNDER THE VOLCANO

• Wednesday, March 12: The emotional and decades-spanning WOMAN OF…, co-starring Joanna Kulig (COLD WAR); which premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival

• Saturday, March 15: IT’S NOT MY FILM, Maria Zbąska’s portrait of contemporary love on the brink of disaster and at the edge of the Baltic Sea, with Zbąska in attendance

• Saturday, March 15: Chicago premiere of UNDER THE GREY SKY, Mara Tamkovich’s eerily timely and haunting portrait of political repression in the digital age, with Tamkovich in attendance. Followed by a reception of Polish delicacies generously sponsored by Polombia. 

• Closing Night, March 20: The Chicago premiere of SPARROW features Jacek Borusinski, winner of the Best Actor prize at the 2024 Polish Film Festival, as middle-aged Remek Wróbel, whose mundane and solitary life turns in an entirely new direction once he learns that his long-estranged grandfather is still alive, and an alluring new neighbor moves in next door. Followed by a reception provided by Gene’s Sausage Shop.
  
• The Film Center will also present seven Polish classics in the festival’s repertory sidebar including:
  • 4K restorations of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s visually arresting, emotionally resonant THREE COLORS trilogy
  • Andrzej Wajda’s beloved ASHES AND DIAMONDS on 35mm
  • Agnieszka Holland’s acclaimed EUROPA EUROPA 
  • A double-feature of Jerzy Skolimowski’s first and last films, IDENTIFICATION MARKS: NONE and EO

Tickets and Passes

Individual tickets and passes for the Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland are available for purchase. 

• Tickets are $13 for the general public, with Film Center members paying only $6.50 per ticket.
• Seniors 65+ with valid state ID and students with a valid school ID pay $8.
• SAIC students, staff and faculty pay $5 for regular film presentations.
• Patrons can purchase a Festival “passport” to see five films* and enjoy unlimited popcorn for $30 (members) or $50 (general public). *excludes Opening Night

Opening Night tickets are $25 (general audience), and $20 for Film Center members and SAIC staff, students, and faculty. 

Full Program

Find the full Chicago European Union Film Festival Belgian Spotlight program below and here.
Note that showtimes and guest appearances are subject to change. 

Friday, March 7, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago premiere
OPENING NIGHT: WHITE COURAGE (BIALA ODWAGA)
2024, dir. Marcin Koszałka
Poland, 115 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Set in the Polish Highlands at the outset of WWII, Marcin Koszałka’s gripping WHITE COURAGE sets a brutal story of betrayal against a breathtaking backdrop, using a tale of two brothers to tell a larger story of WWII’s impact on the Highlanders. WHITE COURAGE won the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards at the 2024 Gdynia Film Festival, and swept the 2024 Polish Film Festival, winning Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay. MORE

Dialogue: Director Marcin Koszałka in attendance. Followed by a pierogi and kolaczki reception generously sponsored by Kasia’s Deli. 

Tickets: $20 Gene Siskel Film Center members, seniors, SAIC students, faculty, and staff; $25 general audiences. 

Saturday, March 8, 12:30 p.m.
Chicago premiere
SHATTERED GAMES (W SZACHU. OSTATNIA ROZGRYWKA)
2023, dir. Marek Bukowski
Poland, 60 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Inspired by true events, SHATTERED GAMES tells the story of the Polish national chess team as they prepare for the 1930 Hamburg World Chess Championship, as war looms and Nazis occupy Poland. Filmed in the interiors of historic pre-war palaces in Poland, SHATTERED GAMES stylishly captures how the outbreak of war brought a premature end to a brilliant team whose moves are still studied in chess textbooks to this day. MORE

Saturday, March 8, 2:30 p.m.
Chicago premiere
THE LOVE BUZZ (MILOSC JAK MIÓD)
2024, dir. Maciej Migas
Poland, 100 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital

While Majka and Agata are both in their 50s, going through menopause, and dissatisfied with life, the old friends are otherwise polar opposites. When the two women reconnect at a funeral, they make an impulsive decision to swap lives, a role reversal that leads to hilarious twists, character-building challenges, and unpredictable revelations. MORE

Saturday, March 8, 5:00 p.m.
Chicago premiere
SIMONA KOSSAK
2024, dir. Adrian Panek
Poland, 100 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

In this smart biopic, Sandra Drzymalska (WHITE COURAGE) stars as Polish ecological hero Simona Kossak (1943–2007). With vivid, lush cinematography, and a commanding and vulnerable performance from Drzymalska, SIMONA KOSSAK is a captivating portrait of an underappreciated hero. MORE

Saturday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago premiere
THE A(A) TEAM (DRUZYNA AA)
2024, dir. Daniel Jaroszek
Poland, 132 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

When four alcoholics learn their beloved rehab facility will close due to lack of funding, they take on a risky gig to save it. They pack food and their emotion journals, kidnap their therapist (Lukasz Simlat, CORPUS CHRISTI), and drive. To survive, the team has to learn to rely on each other and trust themselves in this equal parts dark and heartwarming comedy. MORE

Sunday, March 9, 12:30 p.m.
Chicago premiere
UNDER THE VOLCANO (POD WULKANEM)
2024, dir. Damian Kocur
Poland, 105 min. 
In English and Ukrainian and Spanish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

In Damian Kocur’s timely UNDER THE VOLCANO, a Ukrainian family is wrapping up their sun-soaked holiday in the Canary Islands when Russia invades their homeland. In an instant, they are no longer tourists, but refugees. UNDER THE VOLCANO, Poland’s submission to the Academy Awards for Oscar consideration, is a sensitive and authentic portrait of displacement–and unquestionably a war movie. MORE

Saturday, March 9, 2:45 p.m. 
EUROPA EUROPA
1990, dir. Agnieszka Holland
Poland, Germany, France, 112 min. 
In Polish, German, Russian, and Hebrew with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Agnieszka Holland—whose GREEN BORDER won Best Film at the 2024 Polish Film Awards—gained international acclaim for EUROPA EUROPA. Based on a true story, German Jew Solomon Perel, who is separated from his family during WWII, finds himself surviving only by reluctantly hiding his Jewishness. MORE

Sunday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 16, 12:00 p.m.
THREE COLORS: BLUE (TROIS COULEURS: BLEU)
1993, dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
Poland, France, Switzerland, 98 min. 
In Polish, French and Romanian with English subtitles / Format: 4K digital restoration

Inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution, Warsaw-born master Krzysztof Kieslowski designed his critically acclaimed THREE COLORS trilogy as an exploration of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In BLUE, Julie (a riveting Juliette Binoche) is devastated after her husband and daughter are killed in a car accident. A meditative study of personal freedom, BLUE is a hypnotic and exceptional cinematic experience. MORE

Wednesday, March 12, 6:00 p.m. & Sunday, March 16, 2:15 p.m.
THREE COLORS: WHITE (TROIS COULEURS: BLANC)
1994, dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
Poland, France, Switzerland, 92 min. 
In English and Polish and French with English subtitles / Format: 4K digital restoration

Laced with a biting irony, WHITE is a darkly playful tale of equality and justice. Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a hapless hairdresser living in France, returns to his native Poland penniless and humiliated after he loses everything when his wife Dominique (Julie Delpy) divorces him. MORE

Thursday, March 13, 8:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. 
THREE COLORS: RED (TROIS COULEURS: ROUGE)
1994, dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
Poland, France, Switzerland, 99 min. 
In French with English subtitles / Format: 4K digital restoration

In RED, a luminous exploration of human connection, Irène Jacob stars as Valentine, a melancholy model whose life unexpectedly intersects with that of Joseph, a retired judge who habitually spies on his neighbors. A story of empathy and the possibility of redemption, RED is a brilliant final gift from one of Poland’s most revered filmmakers. MORE

Monday, March 10, 6:15 p.m.
ASHES AND DIAMONDS (POPIÓL I DIAMENT)
1958, dir. Andrzej Wajda
Poland, 103 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: 35mm

One of the most important Polish films of all time, ASHES AND DIAMONDS takes place on the last day of WWII. Using man as metaphor for country, Wajda delivers an urgent and electrifying vision of Poland at a time of transition. MORE

Wednesday, March 12, 8:00 p.m. 
Chicago premiere
WOMAN OF… (KOBIETA Z…) 
2023, dirs. Michał Englert, Małgorzata Szumowska
Poland, Sweden, 132 mins. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Set against the landscape of the Polish transformation from communism to capitalism, WOMAN OF… (a reference to Andrzej Wajda’s MAN OF IRON and MAN OF MARBLE) spans 45 years of the life of Aniela Wesoły, following her journey of liberation as a trans woman. MORE

Double-feature Discount!
Two By Skolimowski: IDENTIFICATION MARKS: NONE and EO
Tickets available individually, or catch both films and save! Double feature discount: $10 members, $13 seniors, SAIC students, faculty, and staff, and $20 general public. MORE

Friday, March 14, 6:00 p.m.
IDENTIFICATION MARKS: NONE (RYSOPIS)
1964, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski
Poland, 73 min
In Polish / Format: Digital 

Jerzy Skolimowski was still a student at the Łódź Film School when he finished his semi-autobiographical debut feature. IDENTIFICATION MARKS: NONE follows Andrzej, a university dropout sentenced to military duty, as he wanders around the city, considering his looming obligation on his last day as a civilian. MORE

Friday, March 14, 8:00 p.m. 
EO
2022, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski
Poland, Italy, 86 min. 
In English and Polish, Italian and French with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

In this poetic homage to Robert Bresson’s AU HASARD BALTHAZAR, Skolimowski’s inventive, tender, and hypnotic feature follows a donkey named Eo after he is removed from the traveling circus he has always called home. During his epic journey across the Polish and Italian countryside, Eo experiences kindness and cruelty in equal measure. MORE

Sunday, March 15, 1:15 p.m.
Chicago premiere
IT’S NOT MY FILM (TO NIE MÓJ FILM)
2024, dir. Maria Zbąska
Poland, 99 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

“We’ll go to the seaside. We’ll walk 250 miles on the beach. If we can’t make it, we’ll split up.” Janek and Wanda love each other, but can’t seem to like each other, and they trek along the wintery Baltic coast in a last ditch effort to save their relationship. Maria Zbąska’s debut feature, which won the Andrzej Zulawski Award at the 2024 Polish Film Festival, is an assured and uncompromising story of modern love. MORE

Dialogue: Maria Zbąska in attendance. 

Saturday, March 15, 3:45 p.m.
Chicago premiere
KULEJ. ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GOLD (KULEJ. DWIE STRONY MEDALU)
2024, dir. Xawery Żuławski
Poland, 148 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

KULEJ. ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GOLD chronicles the turbulent years of 1964 to 1968 for two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer Jerzy Kulej, and his wife Helena. Director Xawery Żuławski captures the spirit of the era and the complex dynamics of the Kulej’s marriage, punctuating the drama with spectacular boxing sequences that will satisfy any RAGING BULL or ROCKY fan. MORE

Saturday, March 15, 7:15 p.m.
Chicago premiere
UNDER THE GREY SKY (POD SZARYM NIEBEM)
2024, dir. Mara Tamkovich
Poland, 81 min. 
In Belarusian and Russian with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Inspired by the true story of Katsyaryna Andreeva and Igor Ilyash, UNDER THE GREY SKY is a haunting portrait of political repression in the digital age which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and won the Best Debut Director prize at the 2024 Polish Film Festival. MORE

Dialogue: Director Mara Tomkovich in attendance. 
Followed by a reception generously sponsored by Polombia.

Wednesday, March 19, 6:00 p.m.
Chicago premiere
MINGHUN
2024, dir. Jan P. Matuszynski
Poland, 94 min. 
In Polish and Chinese with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

When his teenage daughter Masia suddenly dies, Jurek, a Polish widower, welcomes his Chinese father-in-law Ben (Daxing Zhang) to Poland to help lay her to rest and perform a “minghun,” or ghost marriage for Masia, so that she might find balance and not be lonely in the afterlife. MORE

Wednesday, March 19, 8:15 p.m.
A REAL PAIN
2024, dir. Jesse Eisenberg
USA, Poland, 90 min. 
In English and Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Straightlaced David (Jesse Eisenberg) and his unpredictable cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. A poignant portrait of family and intergenerational trauma, A REAL PAIN has been hailed as one of the best films of the year, and won Culkin a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. MORE

Thursday, March 20, 6:00 p.m.
Chicago premiere
CLOSING NIGHT: SPARROW (WRÓBEL)
2024, dir. Tomasz Gąssowski
Poland, 106 min. 
In Polish with English subtitles / Format: Digital 

Middle-aged Remek Wróbel’s (Jacek Borusinski, winner of the Best Actor prize at the 2024 Polish Film Festival) solitary and unremarkable life begins to turn in a new direction when he learns that his long-estranged grandfather is still alive, and an alluring new neighbor moves in next door. MORE

Followed by a reception with meat and cheese platters provided by Gene’s Sausage Shop.

The Film Center thanks the consulates, consuls general, and cultural institutes of the European Union in Chicago and their embassies in Washington, D.C., for their support, partnership, and collaboration. Special thanks to General Consul of Poland in Illinois.

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