Summer, 1945: Eight children from the Gross Rosen concentration camp find a provisional hiding place in an abandoned orphanage nearby, lost among forests. It seems that after the horrors of the war, feral children may come back to normal life. All of a sudden, the idyllic atmosphere of peace and quietness is interrupted. The nightmare returns. In the surrounding forests, wolfhounds are circling. The dogs were released by SS officers before the liberation of Gross Rosen camp. Wolfhounds - taught and used to kill prisoners - surround the young heroes in the orphanage. All attempts of escaping the place are failing. Without any food and water, the children fall into madness and wilderness once again. But the real danger lurks inside the palace.

Direction: Adrian Panek

Script: Adrian Panek

Production: Magdalena Kamińska

Co-Production: Agata Szymanska

Cinematography: Dominik Danilczyk

Editing: Jarosław Kamiński

Production Design: Anna Wunderlich

Costume Design: Małgorzata Karpiuk

Make-Up: Dariusz Krysiak

Sound: Wart Wamsteker

Original Score: Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz

Cast: Kamil Polnisiak, Sonia Mietielica, Nicolas Przygoda

Original Title: WILKOŁAK

Original Language: Polish

Film Production Countries: Poland, Germany, Netherlands

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/moviewerewolf/

Statement of the Director/s
The strength lays in truthfulness. Every element of the story really happened, although today it looks like a dark fairy tale.
A werewolf is a creature between a human and an animal. I think that the period after 1945 in Poland was a bit like that. An evil was defined by simple, animalistic gestures, and people reduced all their existence to the struggle for life. On the other hand, the word ”werewolf” recalls pure horror, but it doesn’t disturb me at all. I liked the idea that previously I made a film about the Messiah and now I am shooting a film about the Werewolf. These are two different ways of thinking about humanity and I am happy to approach the subject from this other side this time.
We are doomed to our animalistic nature. We grew up from the nature that is cruel and reminds concentration camp itself. Culture is negation of the fact that we are animals, because it is built to escape from animalistic side of our identity. But sometimes something happens and everything disintegrates completely

Biography of the Director/s
Adrian Panek was born in 1975. He studied Architecture at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. He is also a graduate of Krzysztof Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television at the University of Silesia and Wajda School. He directed many short films, including THE PASSION OF MARIAN (2006) and MY POOR HEAD (2009), and numerous music videos as well as commercials. In 2011 he made his feature debut DAAS with Andrzej Chyra, Mariusz Bonaszewski and Olgierd Łukaszewicz in the leading roles. The film was named the best Polish first feature of 2011.

Awards Won
BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL, TALLINN 2018: Audience Award, Ecumenical Jury Award
GDYNIA FILM FESTIVAL, POLAND 2018: Best Director, Best Music
POLISH FILM FESTIVAL, CHICAGO 2018: Discovering Eye Award for Young Filmmakers
FESTIVAL OFF CAMERA, CRACOW 2019: Youth Jury Award
BRUSSELS IFF 2019: Orbit Competition Best film
HORRORANT IFF, GREECE 2019: Best Director
FANTAPOA INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL OF PORTO ALEGRE,2019 Brasil / Best Film Award
FANTA FESTIVAL in Rome 2019, Italy / Best Film Award
BRUSSELS IFF of FANTASY, FANTASTIC, THRILLER, Si-Fi, 2019 Belgium / Orbit Competition + Critic’s Selection: Orbit Award

Production Company:
Balapolis
Magdalena Kamińska
Kruczkowskiego 6c/36
Warsaw, 00-412, Poland
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +48 601 980 737
Website: http://www.balapolis.com/

World Sales:
Media Move
Justyna Koronkiewicz
Gieldowa 4c/54
Warsaw, 01-211, Poland
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +48 535 547 355
Website: http://mediamove.pl/

Press:
Balapolis
Magdalena Kamińska
Kruczkowskiego 6C/36
Warsaw, 00-412, Poland
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +48 601 980 737
Website: http://www.balapolis.com/