How do you approach a role that already exists in the audience’s imagination before the premiere? How do you find your own interpretation of a character who has already been shaped by writers, critics, teachers and successive screen adaptations? What can a contemporary actress discover in characters that seem so thoroughly familiar?

In conversation with Kamila Urzędowska, we will take a closer look at the creative process behind bringing iconic female characters to life. Our starting point will be the roles of Jagna and Izabela Łęcka, women who have inspired emotions, debates and ever-changing interpretations for decades. We will talk about contemporary sensibilities, the responsibility that comes with engaging with cultural canon, and how we can tell the stories of women who, for so long, have been seen mainly through the eyes of others.

This conversation is about acting, but also about changing ways of reading literature, about female characters reclaiming their complexity, and about why classic literary figures still have so much to tell us about the world we live in today.