film in PRE-PRODUCTION

A Door to the Woods is an animated feature film inspired
by real people and true historical events.
A story of three Poles, whose lives are interconnected,
will give the audience an opportunity to remember and
learn from the history of the three oppressive regimes in
Europe during the 20th century: Stalinism, Fascism and
Communism.

SYNOPSIS:

Three main characters, three timelines, three interconnected stories.

Antek evades forced labour and escapes to Breslau. He survives the 1945 siege by hiding in the basement with Karol, a Jew using Aryan papers, and Erna, a young German girl. Antek falls in love with Erna and rescues her from deportation. Years later, as a retired carpenter, Antek sees Erna in his granddaughter, Jola.

Victor, is sent to a gulag in 1944 and survives with the help of a French prisoner, the Painter, who becomes his mentor. Together they paint a huge mural of Stalin on the gulag wall. After the war, Victor escapes, but the Painter stays behind and continues to paint Soviet dictators.

Jola grows up in the 1980s, in a communist, industrial estate, dreaming of becoming an artist. Supported by her grandfather, she gets into art school. Despite social pressures that almost make her give up, she is discovered by Victor, now a lecturer at a Film School, who helps her pursue her passion.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:

The film weaves together three narratives of standing up against oppressive regimes: the story of my grandparents, who survived the siege of Breslau thanks to a Jew; of my mother who worked tirelessly so I could have a future, and of the screenwriter’s father who fought to survive in a Soviet gulag.

These stories, of friendship, loyalty, and respect for those who are different from us, have universal significance, especially now, when history seems to be repeating itself.

Our film, a blend of animation and live-action, is about memory, learning from the past, and fighting for what we have now.

Target Audience: Young adults / adults
Technique: 2D digital, 3D digital, Live action (Rotoscoping)

Director: Jola KUDELA
Screenwriter: Aga LESIEWICZ

Staring:
Dominique PINON
Hubert MIŁKOWSKI
Krzysztof OLEKSYN
Bianca NAWRATH
Tomasz TYNDYK
Milena WALENTA

Producer: Piotr DZIECIOL Opus Film

supported by Polish Film Institute , Annecy Pitch 2024,