Sony Pictures Classics, the film’s distributor in the United States, has submitted “The Peasants” for consideration in all Academy Award categories, most notably: Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, Best Animated Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score (Łukasz L.U.C Rostkowski) and Best Original Song (“Koniec Lata”).
The latest film from the makers of “Loving Vincent” has already been seen by more than 1.5 million viewers in Poland, making it the best-performing Polish film at the box office in 4 years. “The Peasants” is now rolling out in other countries, opening in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 8 December. Especially for Poles living in those countries, the distributors have scheduled screenings in Polish with English subtitles. The same day marks the start of screenings in New York and Los Angeles, which will run until 14 December. This is an important stage of the Oscar campaign, as members of the Academy and influential critics will be invited to the screenings.
“The Peasants” is already being listed by leading international outlets among the titles with the best chance of a nomination in the animated feature category. Variety picked “The Peasants” as a candidate for the Academy’s shortlist, and The Hollywood Reporter described the film as “a rousing visual triumph”.
“The Peasants” is a project that brings together different fields of art. Literature, painting and music form a coherent whole that immerses the viewer in a world of deep emotions. 2024 marks the centenary of Władysław Reymont being awarded the Nobel Prize for his novel “The Peasants”. We are delighted that now, with this anniversary approaching, we can present this thrilling story to the world and compete for Oscars in all categories – Sean Bobbitt, producer of the film
The official Academy Award nominations will be announced on 23 January 2024, and the Oscar ceremony will take place on 10 March.
Watch the “Koniec Lata” music video: L.U.C. & RB Film Orchestra feat. Kwiat Jabłoni, Bela Komoszyńska – Koniec Lata – Chłopi/The Peasants – YouTube
Paintings from the film are available for purchase at: https://shop.thepeasantsmovie.com.
The soundtrack album for “The Peasants” is now available in stores: https://kulturalnysklep.pl/product-pol-100085-Chlopi.html
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THE PEASANTS
Premiere: 13 October
Synopsis: Against the backdrop of the changing seasons and seasonal field work unfold the fortunes of the Boryna family and the beautiful, mysterious Jagna. It is the women, and above all the tragic figure of Jagna, who stand at the heart of the story. The unique microcosm of a village community becomes the pretext for telling a universal and remarkably timely story. A story of tragic love and life in a small community, where rules and the brutal laws of the game assign everyone a fixed place in the group, and stepping outside those narrow confines carries the threat of humiliation and rejection.
The film draws on 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, Helios
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
