CHŁOPI | 112 min 
PEASANTS
Dir. DK & Hugh Welchman

"Peasants" (Chłopi), directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, is a visually striking animated film adapted from Władysław Reymont's Nobel Prize-winning novel. The story unfolds in a late 19th-century Polish village, focusing on Jagna, a young peasant woman whose fate is manipulated by those around her. Forced into marriage with a wealthy but much older farmer, Boryna, despite her love for his son Antek, Jagna faces the envy and hostility of the other villagers. As she struggles to maintain her independence, the narrative explores themes of love, oppression, and the harsh realities of rural life. The film is notable for its hand-painted animation technique, involving over a hundred painters who brought the scenes to life using oil paintings based on live-action shots .