A week has passed since the premiere of “The Peasants”, and the painted animation has already drawn more than 300,000 viewers to cinemas. The film directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman is triumphing not only in Poland – foreign media, including “Variety”, tip Poland’s Oscar candidate as one of the titles set to receive nominations for the Awards of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Work is also under way on the English-language version of the film – Katie Melua has just recorded the first song.

 

– When I see how large an audience wants to watch “The Peasants” – not a blockbuster, but a niche art film – my heart rejoices! It’s wonderful that audiences want to reach for something original. A piece of that heart will remain in this film forever, but I already know it was worth it – stresses DK Welchman, responsible together with her husband, Hugh Welchman, for the film’s screenplay and direction.

– When we decided to adapt Władysław Reymont’s novel, many people were surprised by our decision. They said: “The Peasants”? Required school reading? That is why we are so glad that we have pleased the lovers of the epic and – even more so – that we have surprised the sceptics, who have been won over by this passionate, engrossing story – says Sean Bobbitt, the film’s producer.

The film opened in cinemas on 13 October. By 19 October (inclusive), it had been seen by 307,000 viewers.

The first English-language song for the film has already been created – Katie Melua has recorded the closing track with Geoff Foster, entitled “End of Summer”.

– Thank you, Hugh and Luc, for inviting me to take part in this astonishing film and song – the artist wrote on her Instagram. – I don’t think any film has ever been such an emotional experience for me.

The album with the film’s Polish soundtrack, by L.U.C. and the Rebel Babel Film Orchestra, arrives in stores on 3 November, released by Agora Muzyka. The album can be ordered ahead of its release – purchase link. An exclusive vinyl edition will be available for collectors (at a later date). The first single from the album – “Jesień – Tańcuj” already has nearly 900,000 views on YouTube (no. 10 on the “Trending” chart in the music category).

Listen to “Jesień – Tańcuj” on all major streaming services

https://agoramuzyka.ffm.to/JesienTancuj

The Agora publishing house has released an exclusive, illustrated edition of Władysław Stanisław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning work. Purchase link.

 

Paintings from the film are available for purchase at: https://shop.thepeasantsmovie.com.

The film was made in Poland with financial support granted under the Act on Financial Support for Audiovisual Production by the Polish Film Institute from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The project was co-financed by the Polish National Foundation. The film is under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Education and Science.

 

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THE PEASANTS

Release date: 13 October

Synopsis: Against the backdrop of the changing seasons and seasonal work in the fields unfold the fortunes of the Boryna family and the beautiful, mysterious Jagna. It is the women, and in particular the tragic figure of Jagna, who stand at the heart of the plot. The unique microcosm of a rural community becomes the setting for a universal and remarkably topical story. A story of tragic love and life in a small community, where rules and brutal codes of conduct assign everyone a fixed place in the group, and stepping outside those narrow confines carries the threat of humiliation and rejection.

The film was made on the basis of the painting of the Young Poland period, which perfectly captures the mood of the novel. The big screen features interpretations of works by artists such as Józef Chełmoński, Ferdynand Ruszczyc and Leon Wyczółkowski.

Directed by: DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman
Screenplay: DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman
Cinematography: Radosław Ładczuk, Kamil Polak, Szymon Kuriata
Editing: DK Welchman, Patrycja Piróg, Miki Węcel
Production design: Elwira Pluta
Costumes: Katarzyna Lewińska
Make-up: Waldemar Pokromski
Music: Łukasz L.U.C. Rostkowski & Rebel Babel Orchestras (Laboratorium Pieśni, Julia Wieniawa, Tęgie Chłopy, Sutari, Szymon Lipiński)
Sound: Michał Jankowski
Casting: Ewa Brodzka
Animation director: Piotr Dominiak
Special effects: Kamil Polak
VFX Supervisor: Łukasz Mackiewicz
Line producer: Tomasz Wochniak
Producers: Sean Bobbitt, Hugh Welchman
Production: BreakThru Films
Executive producers: Laurie Ubben, Steve Muench, Sita Saviolo, DK Welchman, Kyle Stroud, Tom Ogden

Co-producers: Ivan Pribićević, Jelena Angelovski, Agnė Adomėnė

Co-production: CANAL+, Digitalkraft, Art Shot, Narodowe Centrum Kultury, Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission SKP Ślusarek Kubiak Pieczyk Sp.

Co-financed by: Polish Film Institute, Polish National Foundation, Carte Blanche, Film Center Serbia Lithuanian Film Center

Distribution: Next Film
International sales agent: New Europe Film Sales

Partners: Juice, TELEVISOR Studio, Centrum Technologii Audiowizualnych, GS Animation,

Cast (roles used in the animation): Kamila Urzędowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Mirosław Baka, Sonia Mietielica, Ewa Kasprzyk, Cezary Łukaszewicz, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Dorota Stalińska, Andrzej Konopka, Mateusz Rusin, Maciej Musiał, Julia Wieniawa