Malta Festival invites you to a unique film series, “Women’s Cinema,” featuring free screenings and discussions to be held from June 20 to 28 at the Old Market Square in Poznań. While the spotlight will be on excellent films, what will truly define the unique character of the event are in-depth, late-night conversations with acclaimed female (and male) Polish filmmakers. Among the invited guests are directors Kinga Dębska, Agnieszka Holland, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Maria Zbąska, as well as actresses Maria Dębska, Dorota Kolak, and Marta Ojrzyńska. They will be joined by experts from SWPS University, who will enrich the presented films with new contexts and a multitude of meanings. This will be a rare opportunity to meet and talk in such a special place – not only about cinema.

“Women’s Cinema” marks a new chapter in the festival’s history, which in its refreshed format encourages dialogue. The programme reflects Malta Festival’s role as a platform for intellectual exchange. Each screening will conclude with a conversation featuring not only the filmmakers themselves but also special guests – SWPS University experts in psychology, cultural studies, and social practice. The discussions will be moderated by film journalist and commentator Anna Serdiukow, who encourages:

Each screening will turn into a polyphonic exchange of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Together, we’ll reflect on what resonates most in these stories – and why.

This year, it is films – especially films created by women – that have become the starting point for important conversations: about intimacy and violence, coming-of-age and loneliness, addiction, social class, sexuality, and exclusion.

The meetings will take place in a cozy, home-like atmosphere, with comfort provided by VOX – a Polish interior design brand long associated with Malta Festival and committed to cultural activities.

The programme of screenings will showcase both well-known and less obvious titles. In line with the vision behind Dominika Kulczyk’s patronage of the festival, the films focus on strong, intriguing, and complex female characters. In “Imago” by Olga Chajdas, questions resurface about the difficult relationship between mother and daughter. “This Is Not My Film” by Maria Zbąska explores the clash between the need to control one’s narrative and the rebellion against imposed norms. “Other People” by Aleksandra Terpińska portrays class tensions and the struggle to break free from a limiting environment. Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s “The Lure” delves into female sexuality and adolescence with a rare imaginative flair for Polish cinema, while Kinga Dębska’s “Playing Hard” takes on the subject of female alcoholism – without simplification, yet with empathy. The second part of the series will feature the musical “Autumn Girl” by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz, a sensual portrait of Kalina Jędrusik that combines biography with musical fantasy and reflects on the price of female independence in a patriarchal world. In “A Woman Alone,” filmed in the 1980s, Agnieszka Holland approaches themes of systemic exclusion, economic helplessness, and the isolation of women pushed to the margins of society. Holland’s “Europa Europa” offers a different perspective on identity, belonging, and survival. Both films will also be part of the festival in a different context, serving as inspiration for contemporary theatrical and operatic interpretations. The series will conclude with the screening of “Salt Lake” by Katarzyna Rosłaniec – a bold and nuanced portrayal of female sexuality, the mother-daughter relationship, and emotional addiction that pushes the boundaries of Polish on-screen morality.

“Women’s Cinema” is a proposition for everyone who loves film and is curious about the art of conversation. For those who, after watching a movie, want to ask more questions. Or argue. Or simply listen to how the world is seen by a director, an actress, a psychologist, or a cultural scholar. It’s a space for exchanging thoughts and impressions – regardless of whether someone is a devoted fan of Agnieszka Holland or Olga Chajdas, or simply stumbled upon this series by chance. Malta has always been a meeting place – sometimes with art, sometimes with another person, and often with something previously unknown – says Anna Serdiukow.

All films will be screened with English subtitles, making the programme accessible to international audiences.

Screenings will take place at 9:00 PM in the Quadro Passage at the Old Market Square. Immediately following each screening, the organizers invite audiences to join the discussions with the directors of the featured films.

Free admissions can be collected at the Festival Center (Al. Marcinkowskiego 28, open 10 AM–8 PM) no earlier than the day before the screening and on the day of the screening. Each person may collect a maximum of two tickets per evening.

Programme:

• June 20 (Friday) – “Imago,” dir. Olga Chajdas

Guests: Olga Chajdas (director), Justyna Wasilewska (actress), Dr. Anna Kubiak – psychologist, SWPS University

• June 21 (Saturday) – “This Is Not My Film,” dir. Maria Zbąska

Guests: Maria Zbąska (director), Krzysztof Wiśniewski (cinematographer), Dr. Aleksandra Plata – psychologist, sexologist, SWPS University Clinic

• June 22 (Sunday) – “Other People,” dir. Aleksandra Terpińska

Guests: Aleksandra Terpińska (director), Marta Ojrzyńska (actress), Dr. Anna Kubiak – psychologist, SWPS University

• June 23 (Monday) – “The Lure,” dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska

Guests: Agnieszka Smoczyńska (director), Robert Bolesto (screenwriter), Marta Mazurek (actress), Dr. Agnieszka Trawicka – psychologist, sexologist, SWPS University Clinic

• June 24 (Tuesday) – “Playing Hard,” dir. Kinga Dębska

Guests: Kinga Dębska (director), Dorota Kolak (actress), Julia Bączek – psychologist, psychotherapist, SWPS University Clinic

• June 25 (Wednesday) – “Autumn Girl,” dir. Katarzyna Klimkiewicz

Guests: Katarzyna Klimkiewicz (director), Maria Dębska (actress), Katarzyna Kierzek – psychologist, sexologist, SWPS University Clinic

• June 26 (Thursday) – “A Woman Alone,” dir. Agnieszka Holland

Guests: Agnieszka Holland (director)

• June 27 (Friday) – “Europa Europa,” dir. Agnieszka Holland

No post-screening discussion

• June 28 (Saturday) – “Salt Lake,” dir. Katarzyna Rosłaniec

Guests: Katarzyna Rosłaniec (director), Katarzyna Butowtt (actress), Dr. Katarzyna Grunt-Mejer – psychologist, sexologist, SWPS University

The organizers of Malta Festival are: dFlights and the Kulczyk Foundation.

The main partner of the 35^th edition of Malta Festival is Polenergia.