Best Polish documentary movies

Of Animals and Men (2019)

The key aim of every ZOO is to protect animal species from extinction. In times of war, the most endangered species was the man. Under the Nazis' noses, about 300 people, mainly Jews, found shelter at the Warsaw Zoo during the Second World War. With the help of reenacted scenes with animals, interviews with the survivors, and archive footage, we are going to revive the surreal atmosphere of those events.

Darling I Lowe Ju (2011)

Skandal. Ewenement Molesty (2020)

A piece of Polish rap history that will take you to the times of rebellious youth, when buddies meant more than family.

Dawid Podsiadło: The Tour (2024)

An all-access documentary follows Dawid Podsiadło's epic Polish stadium tour with exclusive footage of the singer-songwriter's journey onstage and off.

Chopin: The Space Concert (2012)

200 years after Chopin's birth, the Space Shuttle Endeavour, like a giant piano, took the music of Chopin into orbit.

Kult - Legendary Rock (2019)

A documentary film containing unique and unpublished backstage materials from the life of the legendary Kult band and Kazik Staszewski himself. A real, exciting and anticipated film about people without whom the Polish music scene could not exist. The camera accompanied the musicians during the concert tour and in everyday life, showing the phenomenon and the group and its unprecedented relationship with fans.

The Musicians (1960)

An orchestra of working-class musicians rehearses in this short film, honored at the 1960 Venice Film Festival and among the favorite films of director Krzysztof Kieslowski who mentored under this documentary's director.

Przystanek Woodstock - Najgłośniejszy Film Polski (2003)

Documentary about those who in 2002 visited Zary. How they looked like, how they behaved, what created the mood, what they said.

Jarocin (2016)

In the small town of Jarocin, the birth of a unique rock music festival provides an escape amid the social and political tensions of 1980s Poland.

Krzysztof Krawczyk – całe moje życie (2022)

Born for the Saber (2019)

This is the story of a young nobleman and knight Błażeja Wronowski set in 17th-century Poland. Błażej begins military education with Jan Jerlicz, a veteran of the Moscow War. Jerlicz returns to his homeland to at the urging of his former companion, Jerzy Wronowski, to train the young Błażej. It is a story of honor, bravery and combat seen through the eyes of a young knight growing up in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Niepodległość (2018)

Auschwitz: Journey Into Hell (2013)

Warsaw: A City Divided (2019)

The history of the Warsaw Ghetto (1940-43) as seen from both sides of the wall, its legacy and its memory: new light on a tragic era of division, destruction and mass murder thanks to the testimony of survivors and the discovery of a ten-minute film shot by Polish amateur filmmaker Alfons Ziółkowski in 1941.

I Trust in You (2016)

"Ufam Tobie" (Polish for "I Trust in You") is a film about God's mercy being poured out on the whole world because He is a loving God who seeks and wants to save every human being." From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn Me. I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about My mercy." (Paragraph 1190 of the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska)

All These Sleepless Nights (2016)

What does it mean to be awake in a world that seems satisfied to be asleep? Kris and Michal push their experiences of life and love to a breaking point as they restlessly roam the city streets in search of answers, adrift in the euphoria and uncertainty of youth.

Talking Heads (1980)

People of different age, profession and social status answer two simple questions: who they are and what they want from life.

The Office (1966)

The insane government bureaucracy at a state pension window.

Tell No One (2019)

Polish documentary directed by Tomasz Sekielski about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Poland.

The Balcony Movie (2021)

Composed from the conversations that the director holds with people passing by in the street under his Warsaw apartment, each story in 'The Balcony Movie' is unique and deals with the way we try to cope with life as individuals. All together, they create a self-portrait of contemporary human life, and the passers-by present a composite picture of today's world.

Over the Limit (2018)

Margarita Mamun, an elite Russian rhythmic gymnast, is struggling to become an Olympic champion. It is the most important year of her career and her last chance to achieve the ultimate goal, the gold Olympic medal. The film creates a captivating portrait of a young woman who is desperately trying to handle her own ambitions and meet the expectations of the official Russian training system.

The Children of Leningradsky (2005)

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain an estimated four million children have found themselves living on the streets in the former countries of the Soviet Union. In the streets of Moscow alone there are over 30,000 surviving in this manner at the present time. The makers of the documentary film concentrated on a community of homeless children living hand to mouth in the Moscow train station Leningradsky. Eight-year-old Sasha, eleven-year-old Kristina, thirteen-year-old Misha and ten-year-old Andrej all dream of living in a communal home. They spend winter nights trying to stay warm by huddling together on hot water pipes and most of their days are spent begging. Andrej has found himself here because of disagreements with his family. Kristina was driven into this way of life by the hatred of her stepmother and twelve-year-old Roma by the regular beatings he received from his constantly drunk father. "When it is worst, we try to make money for food by prostitution," admits ...

Playing Hide and Seek (2020)

The documentary follows the story of two brothers who were sexually abused by the same priest of Polish Catholic Church.

Ania (2022)

An inspiring story about Ania Przybylska, a brave girl from Gdynia who loved life and dared to make her dreams come true. The documentary is built of interviews and never-before-seen footage from private archives portraying a woman who balanced her career and public appearance with family life.

Faustina: Love and Mercy (2019)

Docudrama tracing the life of Saint Faustina Kowalska, whose visions of Jesus Christ inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of "Apostle of Divine Mercy".

From a Night Porter's Point of View (1979)

At the time of the Polish social regime, a security officer is promoted to work at a prison yard. Introducing concurrently with the narrator; he speaks of himself, his thoughts, his point of view.

KUBA (2024)

Football is much more than a simple game. It is a passion that connects people from all over the world. The players themselves have the unique ability to capture the hearts of fans and create a deep emotional connection with them. One of these outstanding players, who impresses not only with his footballing brilliance, but also with his impressive personality and life story, is Jakub Blaszczykowski. In this documentary about Jakub, also affectionately known as "Kuba", Jan Dybus tells the inspiring story of a man who consciously decided to pursue a career in football.

Jurek (2014)

This documentary follows the feats of high-altitude climber Jerzy Kukuczka and his ascent to higher heights before his death in 1989.

Invincible (2021)

A dynamic and emotional story of fighting, passion and sacrifice. From 2016 to 2018, the filmmakers accompanied Joanna Jedrzejczyk, a multiple UFC champion, who at her time conquered the world of female MMA. To stay on top, the Polish fighter has to constantly confront her opponents and her own body, which is forced to make superhuman efforts over and over again. "Invincible" reveals the behind-the-scenes fights of modern gladiators, bluntly showing the blood, sweat, tears and overwhelming loneliness that are the price of the road to success in sports on a global scale.

Hospital (1977)

24 hours in the life of a hospital from the point of view of the doctors and nurses.