Is it possible to love in a world that denies the right to pass? Shooting is underway for ‘The Time That Never Came’, a moving dystopian melodrama directed by Julia Rogowska, starring Agata Kulesza and Dobromir Dymecki. The film is being made as an international co-production, and is scheduled for release in 2026. In addition to Kulesza and Dymecki, the cast includes Michalina Łabacz, Bartosz Bielenia, among others.
It’s a story about love that has to face time – and a future that doesn’t give second chances. We present the first photos from the set and a promotional video.
When passing becomes an act of courage
‘The Time That Never Came’ is ambitious genre cinema. Iin a world obsessed with youth. Sara (Agata Kulesza) chose to age naturally while Oskar (Dobromir Dymecki), her partner, took an anti-aging treatment. Years later, when they reunite — divided by time but bound by the past — Sara begins a journey to reclaim lost love, confront buried emotions and find freedom.
The film balances on the border between dystopia and an emotional story about love, time and choices whose consequences shape all of life. It is a cinema full of non-obvious beauty and reflection, which is part of the current of contemporary stories about the future, where the key is not technology, but the human condition.
A voice that does not fall silent with age
– I’m genuinely interested in what young people think about and how they perceive the world,” says Agata Kulesza, playing the lead role. – I receive a number of debut scripts — I find debut work fascinating, though not all of it speaks to me. But this story, and the world Julia created in her imagination, moved me immediately. I felt I was encountering a profound sensitivity to the world around us..
– Oskar opted for a treatment that was supposed to give him a place in the new, young world, but ultimately took him away from contact with himself, says Dobromir Dymecki. – When he meets Sarah years later, he has to face the emotions he pushed aside. It’s a story about what we lose when we try to cheat time – and how even in a world full of fear of passing, honesty can be the last form of rebellion.
Director of the new generation
Behind the camera is Julia Rogowska – a filmmaker previously known for her award-winning commercials, social campaigns and short films. This is her feature-length debut – personal, bold and deeply immersed in emotion.
– For me, it is first and foremost a story about a woman whose quest for freedom I admire, and whose courage I envy,” Rogowska says. – Sara is the kind of heroine we need today: one who forces us to rethink not only what aging is, but also what freedom really is.
– As a producer, we joined the project at an early stage and were keen to create space for Julia and Malgorzata Pilacińska (screenwriter) to develop their vision. I am proud to support the filmmakers in making the film and to watch Julia’s directorial voice take shape,” adds Krystyna Kantor, the film’s producer.
International potential
The film is being co-produced for international distribution. The producer is Shipsboy, the company behind the films ‘Hyacinth’ and ‘Detective Bruno’, among others. The company already has experience working on international projects presented at the Berlin and Locarno festivals, among others, but this film is the first project in which they act as majority producer.
– During the development of the project, we participated in many international events, which strengthened its position in the foreign environment as well. We believe that thanks to this, as well as the co-production with the Belgian company A Private View, our film will also find its audience outside Poland,” concludes Krystyna Kantor, the film’s producer.
A poignant vision – moving cinema
‘The Time That Never Came’ , despite being set in the near future, is first and foremost a film that makes a bold statement about our present – about how culture supplants old age, how the body ceases to be ours when it is no longer young, and that true freedom is living in accordance with one’s own choices.
The film will hit theaters in 2026. Distribution in Poland is handled by NEXT FILM.