5.7
Daniel is respected by his village community as long as he bravely supports the fight for their affairs. He is in love with the boy next door, Olek, who is not ready to reveal his sexual identity. Their relationship develops in secret. When a teenage friend can no longer take homophobic attacks and commits a suicide, Daniel tries to convince the villagers to organise a service of the Stations of the Cross together for the intention of the victim.
Dawid Ogrodnik
Daniel Rycharski
Maria Maj
Daniel's grandmother
Andrzej Chyra
Daniel's father
Oskar Rybaczek
Olek
Jacek Poniedziałek
Custos Karol
Agata Łabno
Jagoda Majewska
Jowita Budnik
Jadwiga Majewska / Jagoda's mother
Ewa Konstancja Bułhak
Village Mayor Anka
Wiktoria Kruszczyńska
Basia
Karolina Bruchnicka
Kinga Majewska / Jagoda's sister
Zbigniew Litwińczuk
Janicki
Konrad Eleryk
Sławek
Ryszard Doliński
Old Nowak
Małgorzata Biela
Ula
Piotr Trojan
Parish Priest Kurówka
Rafał Maćkowiak
Journalist
Wioletta Kopańska
Magda
Mirosław Kropielnicki
Dominican father
Paweł Ferdek
Priest
Dawid Nickel
Acolyte
Jolanta Borowska
Faithful
Kuba Kosma
Director
Łukasz Gutt
Director, Writer
Łukasz Ronduda
Co-Writer
Marta Konarzewska
Co-Writer
Ada Smyk
Co-Writer
Michał Zygmunt
Co-Writer
Michał Pabian
Co-Writer
Magdalena Kowalska
Script Consultant
Magnus von Horn
Writer
Katarzyna Sarnowska
Writer
Michał Oleszczyk
April 1, 2023
6
Dawid Ogrodnik is "Daniel" (The English language title of this film). He is an openly gay lad living in his Catholic community that is trying to keep it's head above water in the face of increased mechanisation and government interference in the farming techniques that have served them well for generations. Now he is a bit of a force of nature, and though accepted - even admired - by his peers - it's not always on the most sincere of terms. When tragedy strikes his friend "Jagoda" (Agnata Labno) it appears that much of this tolerance may only only have been skin deep, and "Daniel" must deal with the consequences, especially when he wishes to deliver a "way of the cross" tribute to his friend that flies in the face of much of the traditional beliefs of his neighbours. This is quite a well strung together look at just how gay rights and freedoms sometimes complement and sometimes contradict the more traditional and deep-rooted values held in rural communities and is especially poignant to look at now, as Poland continues to wrestle with it's own approach to civil and sexual liberties whilst reconciling the values of a church (and a congregation) that is less willing to move with the times. We know from the start that "Daniel" is not the only gay in the village - and we are not the only ones who know. This is as much about people finding the confidence to follow their hearts as it is about religious intolerance, and as a short and punchy drama delivers quite well on that front. Sadly, it's that brevity that leads to simplicity and stereotyping in a way that rather undermined the core impact of the story for me. There is not really time to develop the characters nor to understand more about what created the scenario around the tragedy in the first place. That said, it's still a film worth watching and one that demonstrates that free thought and expression are still alive and well in a country that still has it's own demons to face, even now.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
Polish
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00