28th Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland, it is our pleasure, with the generous support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, to present two weeks of the best new and classic films from Poland and Polish filmmakers. Join us March 7–20, as we present 20 films, including 13 new titles-and 12 Chicago premieres-alongside classics from filmmakers including Krzysztof Kieslowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Andrzej Wajda. Meet filmmakers visiting us from Poland, and enjoy taste from the country through special events and at our concession stand.

Schedule

Saturday, March 8, 2025

12:30 pm

SHATTERED GAMES

W SZACHU. OSTATNIA ROZGRYWKA

2023, Marek Bukowski, Poland, 60 mins

In Polish with English subtitles | Format: Digital

Inspired by true events, SHATTERED GAMES tells the story of the Polish national chess team-known as the Golden Team-as they prepare for the 1930 Hamburg World Chess Championship. As war looms and Nazis occupy Poland, the team grows closer as a tight-knit group of friends, battling to win the trophy as they also contend with the declining health of their star player, Akiba Rubinstein. Filmed in the interiors of historic pre-war palaces in Poland, SHATTERED GAMES, in one potent hour, stylishly captures how the outbreak of war brought a premature end to a brilliant team whose moves are still studied in chess textbooks to this day.

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2:30 pm

THE LOVE BUZZ

MILOSC JAK MIÓD

2024, Maciej Migas, Poland, 100 mins

In Polish with English subtitles | Format: Digital

While Majka and Agata are both in their 50s, going through menopause, and dissatisfied with life, the old friends are otherwise polar opposites. Widowed Majka lives by the Baltic Sea, runs a sweet shop, and is a devoted grandmother, while recently single Agata lives in the Tatra Mountains, meditates regularly, and has no family. When the two women reconnect at a funeral, they make an impulsive decision to swap lives, a role reversal that leads to hilarious twists, character building challenges, and unpredictable revelations. A laugh-out-loud comedy about trusting your head and your heart, THE LOVE BUZZ delightfully suggests that age really is just a number.

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5:00 pm

SIMONA KOSSAK

2024, Adrian Panek, Poland, 100 mins

In Polish with English subtitles | Format: Digital

In this smart biopic, Sandra Drzymalska (WHITE COURAGE) stars as Polish ecologist hero Simona Kossak (1943–2007). Lacking the artistic talent or interest that defined the Kossak family for generations, after graduating university Simona chooses to leave her hard-hearted mother and accept a position at the Polish Academy of Science’s Research Center in the Bialowieza Forest, and begins to learn how defend both her position as a naturalist and the place of a young woman in a world dominated by men. With vivid, lush cinematography, and an equal parts commanding and vulnerable performance from Drzymalska, SIMONA KOSSAK is a captivating portrait of an underappreciated hero.

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7:30 pm

THE A(A) TEAM

DRUZYNA AA

2024, Daniel Jaroszek, Poland, 132 mins

In Polish with English subtitles | Format: Digital

As the A-Team said, “I love it when a plan comes together,” but for the AA Team, the plan is tenuous at best. When four alcoholics learn their beloved rehab facility will close due to lack of funding, they take on a risky gig to save it: smuggle two tankers of booze across Poland for $200,000. They pack food and their emotion journals, kidnap their therapist (Lukasz Simlat, CORPUS CHRISTI), and drive. But temptation is not their only danger: a deranged customs officer is also hot on their trail. To survive, the team has to learn to rely on each other, keep their eyes on the road, and trust themselves in this equal parts dark and heartwarming comedy.

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Date: March 7 - 20, 2025