Karolina

Two friends, eighteen-year-olds Kaśka and Magda, are graduating from a film high school. Between having fun and enjoying life, they still have to find time to prepare for the final exam that awaits them. They are tasked with preparing a film etude. When the teacher suggests a topic to them, they rebel at first. They wanted to make a film about socially important issues, about contemporary problems, they wanted to change the world, and here they get the story of some village girl from 100 years ago, who let herself be killed in a senseless way. Willing not to, they set off to Zabawa, where their heroine Karolina Kózkówna lived and died.

Directed by Dariusz Regucki, Karolina leans on a strong ensemble — Marlena Burian, Karol Olszewski, Barbara Duda — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2014.