Papusza

Joanna Kos  |  126 min  |  Poland  |  2013  |  Biography  |  15   

A young Romani girl learns to read in secret, only to be cast out by her own people after her poetry is published. Papusza is a haunting, visually striking biopic about Bronisława Wajs, the first Roma woman to write down her poems, whose gift became both her triumph and her curse.

Spanning from the early 20th century through postwar communist Poland, the film follows Papusza’s life from her arranged marriage to her years in a traveling caravan, her friendship with Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski, and her eventual exile from the Roma community. Shot in luminous black and white, the film weaves together moments of lyrical beauty and deep melancholy, portraying a world on the brink of disappearance. Its non-linear structure mirrors the fragmented nature of memory and trauma, while the sparse use of music and dialogue lets the imagery speak for itself.

Directed by Joanna Kos and Krzysztof Krauze, Papusza is a requiem for a vanishing culture. The filmmakers insisted on using the Romani language, with actors spending a year learning it to ensure authenticity. The result is a film that feels both intimate and epic, capturing the tension between tradition and individuality, freedom and belonging. The film received several awards at national and international film festivals of 2013 including, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

In Polish and Romani with English Subtitles

Doors open at 7.40pm and the film starts at 8.00pm