Filmed in 1981, “A Woman Alone” tells the story of Irena, a single mother struggling to keep herself and her son Boguś afloat. In a supposedly socialist state, during the Solidarity carnival, a woman “without backing” is unable to make ends meet. She sinks into illusions, taking increasingly desperate steps. Today, the film evokes ambivalent feelings: it’s abrasive, “over the top,” shockingly outdated… or shockingly relevant?

Who would Irena be in 2025? Four decades after the political transformation, in an era of digital capitalism and privatization of public services, she is no longer “alone” but “a self-reliant” mother. Someone who has been taught that she can only blame herself. 

In her consciousness flows an endless feed of well-meaning voices – ready to offer advice, a charity drive, coaching on time and money management. And, above all, constant concern for Boguś, who of course needs more than clothes and a roof – he needs space for emotional expression and personal growth. Because what would he say in therapy he will never afford?

Trapped in the merciless architecture of social expectations, caught in the exhausting choreography of survival, covered in the sticky glaze of charitable pity, Irena spirals into desperation, resentment, and powerless projections. Where might this lead her in a world that claims to celebrate “female strength” and demands revolutionary change?

And where is Boguś in all this?

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Anna Smolar (b. 1980, France) – Theatre director, dramaturge, and translator. A graduate of the Sorbonne University in Paris and the Sudden Theatre acting school.

She creates original theatre productions in close collaboration with her acting ensembles. Some of her notable collective works include “Henrietta Lacks, Thriller”, and “Erasmus/Erazm” at Nowy Teatr; “The Dybbuk” at Teatr Polski in Bydgoszcz; “The End of Eddy” at Teatr Studio; “Halka” and “Yoga” at the National Stary Theatre in Kraków; “Melodrama” at Teatr Powszechny; and “Orpheus” at TR Warszawa.

Her critically acclaimed productions also include “Cinderella” by Joël Pommerat at the National Stary Theatre in Kraków; “Jewish Actors” by Michał Buszewicz at the Jewish Theatre; “Cowboys” at the Osterwa Theatre in Lublin; “Slow Motion” and “Birds” at the National Theatre in Vilnius; “Hungry Ghosts” at the Kammerspiele in Munich; and “Antigone in Molenbeek” at Teatr Dramatyczny.

She received the Polityka Passport Award in 2016 in the Theatre category for “an intimate and empathetic theatre that tackles marginalized subjects with flair and humour; for consistently expanding the theatrical field and the willingness and skill to engage in dialogue with every audience.”

She is the author of the French translation of Grażyna Jagielska’s book “Love in Stone”.

From 2018 to 2021, she lectured in the fields of Theatre Pedagogy and Social Arts at the Institute of Polish Culture (IKP).

In 2022, she curated the “Tough Love” season at Komuna//Warszawa.

In the 2023/2024 season, she is the curator of the “Hosts” programme at TR Warszawa.

Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund.