The Phenomenal Maria Dębska in the “Autumn Girl” Trailer

Maria Dębska spent eighteen months preparing for the role of Kalina Jędrusik, known as the Polish Marilyn Monroe. The result? The first viewers and reviewers have no doubts – dazzling! Today we present the trailer for “Autumn Girl”.

The film directed by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz will compete for the Golden Lions at the upcoming Polish Film Festival in Gdynia (20-25 September). The first preview screenings took place as part of the Gala Screenings of the New Horizons Festival in Wrocław. Audiences were captivated by the performance of Maria Dębska, who plays the lead character Kalina Jędrusik and performs all the songs featured in the film.

Maria Dębska admits that playing Kalina Jędrusik meant measuring herself against a legend. The actress prepared for the role for eighteen months, working with a personal trainer, a vocal coach and an acting coach.

– On the one hand, I prepared for it intellectually and emotionally, and on the other, I had to roll up my sleeves and simply transform physically. I felt that during that time I was a different person. My hair and my figure were changed. I was asked to gain quite a lot of weight for the role, which I considered very necessary. When it came to sex and femininity, I felt very good in my own skin at the time. I felt it was essential to playing Kalina. Those were the standards back then, and perhaps they should be today too. To gain 9 kilos and feel sexy – that was my task. And it worked – stresses the film’s star.

The vocal preparation was crucial: – Of course, it turned out that it’s not that simple – to sing like someone else. And at the same time I wanted it to be mine and truthful. Not a photocopy, but an emotional statement. Six months before the shoot began, we started recording the songs. By the time I walked onto the set, all the songs had to be ready. And so it was – on set I sang to my own playback. Just off camera there was always a gigantic speaker next to me,
from which I could hear myself.

What is the film about?

Warsaw, the 1960s. Millions of Poles sit down in front of their black-and-white TV sets. And suddenly someone catches their eye.

It is Kalina Jędrusik (Maria Dębska) – a phenomenal actress and singer who brings colour to a drab reality. She tempts with charm and sex appeal. She electrifies the gentlemen and outrages the ladies. Meet the first sex bomb of communist Poland, known as the Polish Marilyn Monroe.

Kalina refuses to fit the era’s model of womanhood. She lives by her own rules, which does not always please a prudish society and some influential people in power. Numerous scandals, life in a love triangle with her husband Stanisław Dygat (Leszek Lichota) and Lucek (Krzysztof Zalewski), controversial statements and outfits oozing sex appeal also earn Kalina the title of communist Poland’s scandal queen. And yet the biggest scandal of her life is only about to begin…

“Autumn Girl” is an important chapter in the life of Kalina Jędrusik, who can safely be called the greatest icon of Polish pop culture. It is the story of the highs and lows of her dizzying career. The events of Jędrusik’s life unfold amid the wild revelry of the era’s social elite.

On screen we will also see other colourful figures of Polish culture: Kazimierz Kutz (Borys Szyc), Tadeusz Konwicki (Paweł Tomaszewski) and the creators of Kabaret Starszych Panów – Jeremi Przybora (Rafał Rutkowski) and Jerzy Wasowski (Dariusz Basiński).

***

“Autumn Girl”

In cinemas from 12 November

Cast: Maria Dębska, Leszek Lichota, Krzysztof Zalewski, Bartłomiej Kotschedoff, Borys Szyc, Katarzyna Obidzińska, Katia Paliwoda, Paweł Tomaszewski, Rafał Rutkowski, Dariusz Basiński

Directed by: Katarzyna Klimkiewicz

Screenplay: Patrycja Mnich, Katarzyna Klimkiewicz

Production: RE Studio, Renata Czarnkowska-Listoś, Maria Gołoś

Co-producers: Telewizja Polska, NEXT FILM, Mazowiecki i Warszawski Fundusz Filmowy, Chimney Poland, DI Factory, Aeroplan Studios

Co-financed by: Polish Film Institute

Executive producer: Ewa Jastrzębska

Cinematography: Weronika Bilska

Production design: Wojciech Żogała

Costume design: Anna Imiela-Szcześniak

Make-up: Ewa Kowalewska, Janusz Kaleja

Casting: Marta Kownacka

Sound: Robert Czyżewicz, Maciej Pawłowski