Documentary film about the founder of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity shows his transformation from a carefree hippie into the leader of a huge civic movement and one of the most important symbols of free Poland.

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Hailed as a real sociological phenomenon, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity was started in 1993 when a music journalist and his friends put together a rock gig to raise money for a new children’s surgery ward. The success of the one-off event led to what is now Poland’s biggest charity drive organised every January to support a different special cause. The documentary looks at the decades of record breaking fundraising efforts and the leaders of this enormous civic movement consisting of 1,600 coordinating committees, including 90 abroad in countries such as Japan, Australia, South Africa and even in the Arctic Circle.

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"Phenomenon" is the first film in which Jurek Owsiak honestly talks about how the idea of ​the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity was born, as well as the challenging beginnings of the event. The documentary does not shy away from difficult topics, including its financial issues and the hate campaign directed at the entire organisation.

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The film was made with financial support granted by the Polish Film Institute from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.