What happens to a person in a world that has not only rejected old age, but deemed it unacceptable? The trailer for “Time That Never Came”, directed by Julia Rogowska, has just been released online. It is one of the most eagerly awaited Polish premieres of this autumn. At the centre of this moving story is Sara — a woman who did not submit to the pressure of the cult of youth and paid for that decision with her freedom – she was isolated in a facility together with other people who did not accept the anti-geriatric treatment. The phenomenal Agata Kulesza plays the leading role.
The film’s protagonist is Sara, played by Agata Kulesza — a woman who years ago refused to undergo the anti-geriatric treatment and was pushed beyond the margins of the new order. In a world that rewards conformity and removes from sight those who do not fit the cult of youth, her choice becomes an act of courage, but also a source of painful exclusion. After years, Sara comes face to face not only with her former love — Oskar, played by Dobromir Dymecki — but above all with the consequences of decisions that cannot be undone.
“It is a story about a world that has done everything to erase old age, but above all about people trying to find their way after years of living by entirely different rules. What also moves me deeply is that the film asks questions about the place of older people in today’s world, and whether, in this relentless pursuit of youth, we are not losing something far more important” – says Agata Kulesza.
Although the film is set in the near future, “Time That Never Came” touches on painfully topical themes. It is a story about a reality that denies people the right to authenticity and represses everything that recalls the passage of time. In this world, those who did not give in to the pressure and did not accept the anti-geriatric treatment — or were too mature for it — are isolated. Julia Rogowska’s film subversively reverses the order we have grown used to: here an older woman, socially invisible on a daily basis, becomes an inconvenient figure in the spotlight — because her body, her choice and her presence are unacceptable to this world.
The film is the directorial debut of Julia Rogowska, the screenplay was written by Małgorzata Piłacińska, and the cinematographer is Mikołaj Syguda. The producer is Krystyna Kantor. The remaining roles are played by Michalina Łabacz, Vanessa Aleksander, Maciej Musiał and Bartosz Bielenia.
The film’s premiere is scheduled for 16 October 2026. NEXT FILM is handling distribution in Poland.
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TIME THAT NEVER CAMEPremiere: 16 October 2026
Synopsis:
The future is now, and there is no room in it for old age, ugliness or authenticity. Do you fit in?
In a world where ageing has become the greatest taboo, Sara and Oskar planned to grow old together. He, however — like most people — underwent the revolutionary anti-geriatric treatment that guarantees youth and a place in the new society. She refused, condemning herself to life in a closed isolation facility. Years later, Sara’s escape attempt brings them together again. They are divided by their appearance, united by the lack of answers to questions pushed aside for years. Can feelings survive time and irreversible decisions? Can you be free and live truthfully in a world that denies the right to grow old?
Directed by: Julia Rogowska
Screenplay: Małgorzata Piłacińska
Producer: Krystyna KantorCinematography: Mikołaj Syguda
Production design: Daria Dwornik
Costumes: Dzvinka Kukul
Make-up: Dominika Dylewska
Editing: Agnieszka Glińska PSM, Izabela Pająk PSM
Music: Natasha Pirard, Raf Keunen
Sound: Zofia Moruś, Krzysztof Owczarek
Casting: Joanna Ślesicka, Małgorzata Lipmann
Production management: Alicja Jagodzińska
Post-production management: Mateusz Kozak
Production: Shipsboy
Co-producers: A Private View, Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych we Wrocławiu, Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych, Mazowiecki Warszawski Fundusz Filmowy, Gdański Fundusz Filmowy, Aeroplan Studios, APLaw, DiFactory
Co-financed by: Polish Film Institute, the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government / the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA
Distribution in Poland: NEXT FILM
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.
Starring: Agata Kulesza, Dobromir Dymecki, Michalina Łabacz, Bartosz Bielenia, Vanessa Aleksander, Maciej Musiał, Weronika Humaj, Anna Bieżyńska.
Media contact:
Monika Łuczyk
monika.luczyk@gmail.com
tel. +48 668 034 480
