OPENING NIGHT: THE DOLL (LALKA)
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Celebrate the opening of the 2026 Polish Film Festival with a complimentary glass of wine on arrival and light bites.
4:00pm – Reception 🎬 4:30pm – Official Opening & Film Screening
A spectacular new adaptation of one of Poland’s greatest literary masterpieces, "The Doll" brings Bolesław Prus’s sweeping story of love, ambition, money and social class to the big screen with an extraordinary cast. Led by Marcin Dorociński (The Queen's Gambit, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) and Kamila Urzędowska (The Peasants), alongside the long-awaited return of Marek Kondrat and an extraordinary ensemble of Poland’s leading actors, including Agata Kulesza (Cold War, Ida), Andrzej Seweryn (Schindler's List, Total Eclipse) and many more, this ambitious new film is one of the most anticipated Polish premieres of the year.
Warsaw at the end of the 19th century. Wealthy merchant Stanisław Wokulski is determined to win the hand of Izabela Łęcka, a beautiful young aristocrat whose family is facing financial ruin. Having made his fortune during the war, he returns to Poland and sets out to enter high society in order to get closer to the woman he loves. As he enters her world of privilege, ambition and social intrigue, Wokulski discovers that wealth cannot easily overcome the barriers of class — and that love can be as consuming as it is elusive.
An epic love story and a portrait of a society undergoing profound change, The Doll explores the tension between dreams and reality, ambition and belonging. Set against the richly recreated world of 19th-century Warsaw, the film brings Prus’s timeless story to life with sweeping ambition, vivid period detail and a compelling portrait of a man caught between his desires and the world he cannot change.
THE DOLL
drama I 2026 I Poland
Original Title: LALKA
Duration: 164 min
Language: Polish with English subtitles
Director: Maciej Kawalski
Cast: Marcin Dorociński, Kamila Urzędowska, Marek Kondrat, Agata Kulesza, Maria Dębska, Andrzej Seweryn, Maja Komorowska, Krystyna Janda, Maja Ostaszewska, Maciej Stuhr,
Karolina Gruszka, Mateusz Damięcki, Borys Szyc, Cezary Żak, Filip Pławiak, Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Chyra, Jan Englert
4:00pm – Reception 🎬 4:30pm – Official Opening & Film Screening
A spectacular new adaptation of one of Poland’s greatest literary masterpieces, "The Doll" brings Bolesław Prus’s sweeping story of love, ambition, money and social class to the big screen with an extraordinary cast. Led by Marcin Dorociński (The Queen's Gambit, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) and Kamila Urzędowska (The Peasants), alongside the long-awaited return of Marek Kondrat and an extraordinary ensemble of Poland’s leading actors, including Agata Kulesza (Cold War, Ida), Andrzej Seweryn (Schindler's List, Total Eclipse) and many more, this ambitious new film is one of the most anticipated Polish premieres of the year.
Warsaw at the end of the 19th century. Wealthy merchant Stanisław Wokulski is determined to win the hand of Izabela Łęcka, a beautiful young aristocrat whose family is facing financial ruin. Having made his fortune during the war, he returns to Poland and sets out to enter high society in order to get closer to the woman he loves. As he enters her world of privilege, ambition and social intrigue, Wokulski discovers that wealth cannot easily overcome the barriers of class — and that love can be as consuming as it is elusive.
An epic love story and a portrait of a society undergoing profound change, The Doll explores the tension between dreams and reality, ambition and belonging. Set against the richly recreated world of 19th-century Warsaw, the film brings Prus’s timeless story to life with sweeping ambition, vivid period detail and a compelling portrait of a man caught between his desires and the world he cannot change.
THE DOLL
drama I 2026 I Poland
Original Title: LALKA
Duration: 164 min
Language: Polish with English subtitles
Director: Maciej Kawalski
Cast: Marcin Dorociński, Kamila Urzędowska, Marek Kondrat, Agata Kulesza, Maria Dębska, Andrzej Seweryn, Maja Komorowska, Krystyna Janda, Maja Ostaszewska, Maciej Stuhr,
Karolina Gruszka, Mateusz Damięcki, Borys Szyc, Cezary Żak, Filip Pławiak, Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Chyra, Jan Englert
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Where is it happening?
Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, 380 Military Rd,Sydney,NSW,Australia
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherPolish Film Festival Sydney
