19-25 January
2026
With The Wedding Day, Polish director Wojciech Smarzowski unfolds a large scenario and moves through painful parts of Poland's history and present time. His starting point is a wedding, which turns out not being as pleasant as the host had wished.
Renowned Polish director Wojciech Smarzowski's brand new film does not quite resemble anything you've seen before. With one exception: he builds on the story of an upper-class wedding from his own debut film, the comedy Wedding (2004). Much of Wedding's starting point is retained in the new film: the rich businessman is due to marry off his daughter (an old-fashioned wording, but in this case it fits). The wedding is expensive and lavish, it includes bribes and shady business, workers who do not get paid and a facade that eventually cracks. Everything takes place in one day.
Yet, the new Wedding Day is by no means a comedy, although it has funny scenes. It is deeply serious. And it is experienced as angry. Smarzowski brings in the treatment of the Jews during World War II and shows a massacre that took place in the village where the wedding is being held. Eventually, he cuts together the two time zones, and shows how the same attitudes live in our time as well. A hard-hitting film.
This film was chosen by film critic Jan Storø.
Wojciech Smarzowski (b. 1963) graduated from the National Film School in Lodz. He is one of the most famous Polish directors. The latest film is the eighth in a row. Smarzowski is not afraid to dive into difficult and controversial topics, something he fully showed with Clergy (2018) which was about sexual abuse committed by priests in the Catholic Church.
2018 Kler / Clergy
2016 Wolyn / Hatred
2014 Pod Mocnym Aniołem / The Mighty Angel
2013 Drogówka / Traffic Department
2012 Róza / Rose
2004 Wesele / The Wedding
Kl 16:30
Verdensteatret
Kl 14:00
Kulturhuset
Kl 21:30
Hålogaland Teater
Programme: | Critics' Week |
Original title: | Wesele |
Director: | Wojciech Smarzowski |
Country: | Poland |
Year: | 2021 |
Run time: | 2h 13m |
Screenplay: | Wojciech Smarzowski |
Photo: | Piotr Sobocinski Jr. |
Cast: | Michalina Labacz, Robert Wieckiewicz, Agata Kulesza, Ryszard Ronczewski, Mateusz Wieclawek |
Producer: | Janusz Bogaczyk, Janusz Hetman, Wojciech Gostomczyk |