2024 Polish Film Festival, Part II: Simona Kossak
Simona Kossak, 2024, 100 min.
Directed and written by: Adrian Panek
Principal cast: Sandra Drzymalska, Jakub Gierszał, Agata Kulesza, Borys Szyc, Nika Wichłacz, Marianna Zydek, Olga Bołądź, Dariusz Chojnacki, Marta Stalmierska, Robert Gonera, Tomasz Sapryk
Simona Kossak (1943 - 2007), a biologist, ecologist, and professor of forest sciences, was the great-granddaughter of Juliusz Kossak, the granddaughter of Wojciech Kossak, and the daughter of Jerzy Kossak – three painters who loved both Polish landscapes and history. Lacking the talent that has been defining her family for generations, she was growing up knowing no warmth from her authoritarian mother. After graduating from the university, she left everything behind – her home, tradition and social norms – and accepted the position of a scientist in Białowieża, starting to live her life on her own terms. She settled in the middle of the forest, in a house with no electricity or running water, surrounded by wild nature. There, she met a photographer, Lech Wilczek, who shared her passions: the love of nature and the need for freedom. However, her view on the work of a naturalist and the position a young woman in a world dominated by men got painfully shattered. Not only had she to defend her ideals but also the world of flora and fauna.
Following the screening: Closing of the Festival. Reception at the Theater 1.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2710364-0
