ASTANA — The eighth Polish Film Festival Wisła is lighting up Astana with powerful stories and artistry, offering Kazakh audiences a closer look at contemporary Polish cinema on Nov. 2-5. The festival aims to foster dialogue and cultural understanding, and has long served as a bridge between Poland and Central Asia, said Małgorzata Ślagowska, a director of the Wisła festival.
The eighth Polish Film Festival Wisła. Photo credit: @pj.astana
“It is not only a presentation of the best Polish films but also an opportunity for dialogue that helps us better understand our values, history, and daily life,” Ślagowska told The Astana Times, highlighting the growing interest in Polish culture in Kazakhstan.
Małgorzata Ślagowska, a director of the Wisła festival. Photo credit: Open Hearts foundation
“Polish films resonate with a receptive and thoughtful audience here, one that relates to the same universal themes and emotions that are close to Kazakhstan’s own reality,” she said.
This year’s program includes “Zupa Nic” (Soup Nothing) by Kinga Dębska, “Miłość jest blisko” (Love Is Near) by Radosław Dunaszewski, “Dom pod dwoma orłami. Kłamstwa Zofii” (The House Under Two Eagles: Zofia’s Lies) by Waldemar Krzystek, and “U Pana Boga w Królowym Moście” (At God’s Little Village) by Jacek Bromski.
The festival opened with “Chłopi” (The Peasants) by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, followed by a discussion with Piotr Dominiak, animation director and artistic lead of the film.
Screenings are taking place at the Eurasia 7 cinema in Astana through Nov. 5, with an additional program running from Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 at the Polska Jedność public association.
Among the highlights of the upcoming days are “Miłość jest blisko” (Love Is Near), screening on Nov. 4 at 8 p.m., and “Zupa Nic” (Soup Nothing), which will close the program on Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. All screenings at the festival are free.
Women’s cinema and contemporary stories
The Wisła festival blends traditional and modern perspectives, placing special emphasis on women’s cinema, contemporary animation, and stories that portray Poland in a fresh, creative light. Ślagowska noted that this approach reflects the diversity of Polish filmmaking today, in which personal narratives and visual experimentation play central roles.
“This year, we focus on women’s stories, modern animation, and films that show Poland in a new, inspiring light,” she said, adding that Wisła aims to remain dynamic and inclusive as it evolves in Kazakhstan’s cultural landscape.
“In the future, we also plan to hold open-air screenings, youth master classes, and collaborate with art schools so that Wisła becomes a regular part of Kazakhstan’s cultural life,” she added.
Shared themes and common ground
Recommending a film that captures Poland’s contemporary spirit, Ślagowska highlighted “Zupa Nic.”
“It is a warm and touching story about family and growing up in 1980s Poland, a film about love, humor, and human relationships that evokes both smiles and nostalgia,” she said.
She added that Polish and Kazakh cinema often intersect through similar human experiences.
“Both often turn to questions of identity, tradition, family ties, and generational continuity. Our cultures share respect for the land, nature, and community. (…) Kazakh viewers will also relate to films about social change, migration, and the search for one’s place in the modern world – these are universal experiences,” said Ślagowska.
From Poland’s river to the world
The Wisła Polish Film Festival, launched in 2008, has toured 28 countries and 36 cities, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
It is supported by the Open Hearts Foundation, the Maximilian Kolbe Polish Language Institute, and the Embassy of Poland in Kazakhstan, under the honorary patronage of Bogdan Borusewicz, chair of the Polish Senate Committee on Emigration and Liaison with Poles Abroad.
Named after Poland’s longest and most symbolic waterway, the Wisła River, the festival reflects the same idea of continuity and connection. Just as the river links Poland’s regions from the mountains to the Baltic Sea, Wisła connects audiences across borders through the shared language of cinema.
