“Woman of”, interview with directors Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert

September 9, 2023

Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, directors of "Woman of", talk to FRED about their film in competition in Venice Film Festival

"Woman of", interview with directors Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert David Martos

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Interview during the 80th edition of Venice International Film Festival with Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, directors of the film “Woman of” (“Kobieta Z…” in Polish) in competition for the Golden Lion. The movie depicts several decades in the life of a Polish trans woman and her relationship to her family and the rest of society.

Szumowska and Englert talk to FRED about the importance of this film to tell the world how LGTBQ+ rights are not being respected in Poland. They address the process of working with more than an actor for the same role, based on the idea that people’s aspect can change throughout their whole lives.

International reviews have said that “Woman of” is “a sprawling, lyrical, and sensitive journey of a woman becoming her true self”. During the film, the audience will discover the journey of Aniela Wesoły: her conversations with friends, family and doctors describe not only her life… but Poland itself.

Plot

Set against the landscape of the Polish transformation from communism to capitalism, Kobieta z... spans 45 years of the life of Aniela Wesoły and her journey to find personal liberty as a trans woman. She faces hardships in family life and complicated attitudes in her environment. What choices will Aniela have to make to become who she truly is?

Written by: David Martos

LGTBQ+ rights Mostra del Cinema di Venezia