Another vibrant debate with a petrified image of a literary classic provokes reflection at this year’s festival. Stefan Żeromski’s novel Dzieje grzechu (The Story of Sin) was published in 1908, and was received as a mediocre love story that had previously been published in episodes in a newspaper, if not one verging on pornography. That interpretation was later reinforced by Walerian Borowczyk’s scandalising film, watched with faces aglow because in the bygone days of communism, as it included what they called “those moments”. Furthermore, The Story of Sin perpetuated a distorted image of women as victims, objects of male desire, which mirrored the director’s abusive behaviour towards an actress.

Now, one of the most thought-provoking young Polish directors, Wojtek Rodak, interprets The Story of Sin contrary to all our accustomed ways. He shares the key figure of Ewa among three consummate actresses of the National Stary Theatre in Kraków (Małgorzata Gałkowska, Karolina Staniec, and Magda Grąziowska) to build a tale about a woman seeking her own agency, and breaking away from masculine diktats. We find ourselves in Żeromski’s times as the drama plays with historical costume, reduced here to essential yet profoundly suggestive symbols. A moment later, we scramble to the present to hear an actress confess how, years ago, during work on The Story of Sin in another theatre, she firsthand experienced various forms and degrees of abuse, all “in the name of building the role” and “for the good of the production”.

Free from feminist slogans and involvement in current affairs, the tale carries a powerful message against violence in social life and (sic!) in the theatre. Powerful, inspiring, and at times very funny despite the subject it tackles.

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Photos by Maurycy Stankiewicz