What to Watch Before Visiting Poland
Poland is a beautiful country, rich in history and culture, with great food, nightlife, a thriving restaurant scene, emerging fashion labels, and a natural landscape that provides for breathtaking sights and adventures. However, when looking for inspiration for your upcoming trip in film or television, admittedly you’ll be hard pressed to find modern content in English. That said, there is lots of great material to ignite your excitement, from war films and harrowing tales of heroism, to a darker depiction of the modern day youth. While this list does try to focus on English content, there are some popular Polish-language films to give you inspiration and provide diversity in content.
Find Oscar winning films focusing on World War II and the Holocaust that will undoubtedly produce a list of places you’ll want to see when visiting, as well as providing historical context to your trip. Suggestions also include fantasy content, whether they feature Poland scenery in the backdrop or they originated in Poland - in English for easy enjoyment.
Without further ado, here is a list of film and television series that will undoubtedly shed a new light on this Eastern European country, inspiring you to visit and providing you with a list of things to see and do.
An Oscar-winning film depicting the heroism of real life Oskar Schindler, who saved over a thousand Jewish lives during World War 2 by hiring them to work at his factory in Krakow. Watch this film to learn more about the harsh reality of Poland during the war and the individuals who helped to make a difference. Told in black and white, this film features stunning performances by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kinsley. Directed by Steven Spielberg, earning him an Academy Award for Best Director, just one of the seven this film received, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Edition, and Best Original Score. A must-watch film before you go to Poland, especially Krakow where you can still visit the factory today and where much of the film was shot.
Watch the trailer here.
Regardless how you feel about Roman Polanski, his Oscar winning film The Pianist is considered one of the best movies ever made, and definitely one of the most impactful films to depict the Holocaust. Taking place in Warsaw, this movie introduces you to the city at the on-set of the war, throughout the German occupation, and ends by showing a glimpse of the city post-war - all told through the experience of Wladyslaw Szpilman (played by Adrien Bordy), a Polish-Jewish pianist. While the movie focuses on Szpilman’s struggles, the events and background of the film provide context for a trip to Poland, touching on the Warsaw uprising, the exportation of Jews from Poland, the creation of the city ghettos, and the fight to survive during these dark days, regardless of faith. It is a gripping story, harsh in its realistic portrayal of life in Warsaw at this time, told through the visionary eye of Polanski, who was a Holocaust survivor from Poland himself.
You can watch the trailer here.
While this BBC/PBS Masterpiece series does take place during World War 2, as most English content taking place in Poland does, this series provides a unique look at the war, one not often told in film or television. Admittedly this show also takes place in the UK and France, but a third of the show takes place there, with some of the main characters Polish, and many plot points connected to them - not to spoil anything. This gripping and heartfelt mini-series, which is wonderfully acted, shows how all parties were affected by the onset of the war, people whose stories often get overlooked, such as people of colour, LGBQT+ community, local Polish citizens who just wanted to mind their own business, as well as the polish resistance, those who suffer from PTSD and shellshock from the first world war, and so much more. And the series has been greenlit for a second season so there is plenty more content to come and stories to follow.
You can watch the trailer for the first season here.
This film looks at a group who suffered horrendously when the Nazis invaded and occupied Poland; a group that suffered but no one speaks about - the animals. Focusing on the Warsaw Zoo, this film tells the true story of the Zabinska family who ran the zoo; a family that went from caring for animals to hiding Jewish people within the zoo, only to help them later escape. Learn about the heroism of this family, specifically Antonina Zabinska, while also briefly and interestingly learning about the Nazis program for raiding zoos from occupied countries to bolster their own, as well as their attempts to try and breed new species. Featuring a wonderful cast, Jessica Chastina steals the show in this film as the heroine Antonina.
Watch the trailer here.
While this Netflix series starring Henry Cavill does NOT take place in Poland - it takes place in a fictional medieval-inspired world - it is the TV adaptation of the popular Polish fantasy series by the same name, created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher series has gone on to become a popular video game and now TV series, following the character Geralt as he struggles against his nature and searches to find his true purpose in the world. With epic fight scenes, mystery, political intrigue, vengeance, and romance, this series has something for everyone. Be warned, there is some timeline jumping in the first few episodes so if you’re new to this series/storyline - don’t worry if you feel slightly confused or think you’ve missed something - it all becomes clear with time and comedy.
You can watch the trailer for the first season here.
Told through the perspective of a Polish woman about to become a nun as she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the war and the German occupation of Poland. Orphaned as a child, Ida found her place and family through the church, but before she can take her vows she learns of her Jewish heritage, and that she herself is a Jew rather than the Catholic she’s grown up to believe herself to be. A moving picture that examines challenging our beliefs and what we know, as well as self-discovery, Ida was the first Polish film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It also won countless awards and accolades on the film circuit, so whether or not you like foreign films, consider watching Ida for the art and superb quality of the movie.
You can watch the trailer here.
This dramatic Polish-language film focuses on young love and the heartbreak that comes with it, all told with the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 as the background. Created to commemorate the uprising, this movie does an excellent job at showing the complexity, the struggles, and the danger that was attached to resisting the Nazis. With big budget special effects, the scenes depicting the uprising are equal to those of a Hollywood blockbuster, but this film uniquely captures the history in an innate way unlike that of an American-made film. Harrowing yet informative, Warsaw 44 (also known as Miasto 44) provides a lot of insight to the uprising, bringing you in with an emotional attachment to the characters. While this film is not in English, it is subtitled and easy to get hooked into.
Watch the trailer here.
A Polish-language film with English subtitles, this modern thriller earned international accolades, becoming one of the most talked about films at the Tribeca Film Festival. The story focuses on an expelled law-student in Warsaw, who decides to take the internet by storm as he joins a PR company that focuses on running online smear campaigns. Becoming an internet troll who spreads hatred, fear, and violence, what starts as just a game to him, becomes painfully real and showcases how dangerous online hatred can become. Further, this film depicts just how easily it is to be manipulated by the internet in today’s age, and pushes the audience to take into consideration the dependency they have placed on online media.
You can watch the trailer here.
A crime thriller starring Jim Carrey, this murder mystery film is based on a New Yorker article by David Grann, which focuses on the story of Krystian Bala, a convicted murderer sentenced for killing a local businessman. What makes the original case interesting, and serves as the plot for this film, is that Bala was only discovered because the case was eerily similar to details in a novel he had published a few years later. Bala’s novel Amok shares details of the murder, hidden within his fiction novel, making it a bestseller as the case broke and earning international attention. This film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiwi actor Marton Csokas.
Watch the trailer here.
The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) & Prince Caspian (2008)
Another fantasy series that does not take place in Poland, nor is there any direct relation between this children’s series and Poland so it’s understandable why one might not know to include this on their list. However, the first two films were actually filmed in Poland, which means that not only will you find Polish extras, but you’ll find some lovely backdrops featuring Poland’s beautiful architecture and scenery. For instance, the Kamieńczyk Falls and Błędne Skały Labyrinth are featured in both The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) and Prince Caspian (2008). Filming locations also included the Stolowe and Tatra Mountains, the Dunajec River Gorge, and Siemianowka Lake in Bialowieza Forest.
You can watch the trailer for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe here and for Prince Caspian here.
This Polish TV series comes from HBO Europe, telling the story of a drug dealer’s life coming undone over the course of a week. What was once seemingly perfect and in control begins to spiral before his eyes, forcing him to make some difficult and defining decisions. This 8-episode series will have you hooked until the end, with each episode getting better and darker. While it is all in Polish, it’s nice to find a TV series that isn’t war focused and provides a look at a modern story, albeit still a dark one.
Watch the trailer here.
Think Laguna Beach with a touch of Terrence Malick but as a movie, telling the story of two young Polish guys, as they explore the Warsaw art scene and nightlife, ultimately falling in love with the same girl. Using real people and following them around their lives with steady-cams, this film is documentary style, though the director admittedly said that some scenes were staged - hence the similarity to Laguna Beach and The Hills. In this movie, you’ll follow the boys as they explore their youthful impulses, heartbreaks, and deal with all the imposing questions that being in your 20s forces upon you.
Watch the trailer here.