15/02/2024 - The Polish auteur is working on a new film revolving around domestic violence, starring Agata Kulesza, Tomasz Schuchardt and Agata Turkot, among others

Wojciech Smarzowski on the set of Good House (© Lucky Bob/Warner Bros Entertainment Inc/Kamila Warda)

Wojciech Smarzowski is one of those Polish directors who’s popular both among the critics and with the audience, even though his films are far from being considered crowd-pleasers. In his upcoming project Good House, Smarzowski, who also penned the script, will focus on domestic violence, although nothing more has been shared about the story.

Judging by his previous efforts, which included covering Polish involvement in the Holocaust (The Wedding Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Wojciech Smarzowski
film profile]), the devastating consequences of alcohol abuse (The Wedding Day, Dark House, The Mighty Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), corruption (Traffic Department [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Wojtek Smarzowski
film profile]), horrific violence against women and minorities (Rose [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), and child abuse committed by catholic priests (Clergy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Wojciech Smarzowski
film profile]), it is only natural to expect that Good House will not shy away from showing the causes and results of cycles of brutality among family members. Shooting started in late January and is expected to wrap in April.

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Smarzowski will work with cinematographer Paweł Tybora, production designer Joanna Macha, costume designer Magdalena Rutkiewicz-Luterek, editor Krzysztof Komander and music composer Mikołaj Trzaska, who has been working with the director since his early films. The cast includes actors whom he has already worked with previously, too: Agata Kulesza (Rose, The Wedding Day, Ida [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile]), Tomasz Schuchardt (The Wedding Day), Agata Turkot (The Wedding Day), Arkadiusz Jakubik (Dark House, Clergy, The Wedding Day) and Maria Sobocińska (Hatred [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The Wedding Day).

Wojciech Gastomczyk and Janusz Gastomczyk are producing the film through their company Lucky Bob, which previously staged The Wedding, Clergy and The Mighty Angel with Smarzowski. The company’s other credits include The Palace [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Roman Polański and Roving Woman [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Michał Chmielewski. The Polish distributor is Warner Bros Entertainment Polska, and the national release is planned for Q4, 2025.

Smarzowski’s previous film The Wedding Day had its international premiere at Tallinn Black Nights, where it scooped the gongs for Best Directing and Best Screenplay in 2021. Clergy was released in 2018, surpassing 5 million admissions, and became the third-most-popular local film since 1989 (see the news).