Nine Polish projects will be presented at Sunny Side of the Doc 2024 by some of the country’s leading doc production houses, including Silver Frame, Kijora Film, Smart Films, AP Mañana and Short Docs Media. The delegation arrives under the aegis of Polish Docs Pro, led by Barbara Orlicz‐Szczypuła, Director of KFF Sales & Promotion and Katarzyna Wilk, Head of Polish Docs.
Marta Szymanowska of prolific Kijora Film is presenting three films in La Rochelle:
- On the Way by Natalia Dołgowska • 2026 • 71’. Amid the serene beauty of the Polish mountains, an asphalt road leads to a breathtaking yet heavily overcrowded lake. Only a few strive to preserve this place untouched. How far removed can you be from nature while trying to be in the heart of it?
- Isabella by Joanna Janikowska • 2025 • 69’. Isabella knows she will die at the age of 93. She has only two years left to save herself and her decaying town from oblivion. Nevertheless, her sense of humour, verve, and indefatigable character do not leave her.
- The Big Chief by Tomasz Wolski • 2024 • 110’. In 1972 French journalists visited communist Warsaw to secretly interview Leopold Trepper, head of the most powerful espionage network during WWII. After the anti‐Semite campaign in Poland in the 70s, when the Jews lost their jobs and were forced to leave the country, Trepper was one of a few who were not allowed to go to Israel. All the film reels the French TV crew shot were confiscated and allegedly destroyed. The undeveloped reels remained in Poland for almost 50 years.
Joanna Tatko of the boutique Short Docs Media will present two films:
- Riding with Ghosts by Piotr Małecki, Maciej Nabrdalik • 2025/2026 • 72’. After years spent among violence and suffering, a famous American war photographer tries to find peace. The demons of the past and fear about the future of his own country keep him from returning to balance.
- Woytek by Piotr Małecki • 2025 • 52’. The famous photographer Wojciech Plewiński took naked self‐portraits every birthday, recording the passage of time. In the film, these sessions become an impulse to return to the people, places and moments he has experienced and to reflect on the transience of life and love for life.
Marta Wierzbicka of the newly established Smart Films will be discussing two films:
- Light in the Shadow by Tadeusz Chudy, Alina Shapran • 2026 • 52’/75’. A bond is formed between the reporter and the volunteer, through which they try to understand the world of war around them and find their place in it.
- On My Own Terms by Tadeusz Chudy • 2025 • 60’/75’. Paweł, a young boxer, and his half‐sister inherit a flat, offering hope to leave the orphanage for their first real home. Their quest for stability tests their bond and confronts adult challenges.
Piotr Kobus of AP Mañana presents:
- Naveen by Tomasz Wysokiński • 2026 • 80’/52’. Naveen Mor, a legend of Indian wrestling turned police inspector in Haryana state, is investigating a disappearance of a local villager, shedding light on the darkness within the Indian underworld.
Finally, Justyna Gawełko of Silver Frame will present:
- Baltic by Iga Lis • 2025 • 52’. After forty years of running her famous smokehouse in a Polish seaside town, sixty‐four‐year‐old Miecia grapples with the challenges of aging and illness while facing the daunting fear of the business’s survival prospect without her at the helm.
POLISH DOCS PRO focuses primarily on the promotion of the Polish documentary film industry at international events. It supports filmmakers and producers in developing their projects by facilitating access to markets, pitching forums, and co‐production meetings; presenting the projects, production models, and co‐production opportunities with Poland; organizing networking meetings; and participating in lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and training sessions.
