IRENA'S VOW
PRZYSIĘGA IRENY
IRENA'S VOW
crime, drama I 2023 I Poland
SUNDAY 7/7/2024 2pm
PALACE NORTON ST
Original Title: PRZYSIĘGA IRENY
Duration: 120min
Language: English and Polish with English subtitles
Director: Louise Archambault
Cast: Sophie Nélisse, Dougray Scott, Andrzej Seweryn, Maciej Nawrocki, Eliza Rycembel, Irena Melcer, Tomasz Tyndyk, Eryk Kulm Jr, Rafał Mohr
Due to miscommunication between the film producer who granted the festival a license to screen the film and their sales agent, ticket sales have been paused until further notice.
Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Polish nurse Irena Gut Opdyke and her unfathomable courage as she risked her own life to save a dozen Jewish workers in the basement of a Nazi officer's house.
A moving Polish-Canadian war drama directed by Louise Archambault and filmed in Warsaw and Lublin. Premiering in the Centrepiece program of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, it won the Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Windsor International Film Festival.
With Germany invading Poland in 1939, Irena's life takes a perilous turn when the hospital where she worked is bombed and the 19-year-old is coerced into working for the enemy in a sewing factory. Despite being witness to unspeakable atrocities, Irena's spirit remains unbroken. She makes a silent vow to protect her Jewish factory colleagues from certain death. Recruited to serve as housekeeper to the highly respected Nazi officer Major Edward Rugemter, she hides them under his nose in the basement of his house. Over the course of two harrowing years, risking her own safety, Irena's vow is tested as she navigates the treacherous landscape of German-occupied Poland. Her stanch determination, courage and wit enable her to conceal her Jewish friends despite blackmail, denunciations and even the birth of a child, earning her the title of Righteous Among the Nations, awarded to her after the war.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
WINNER: Audience Award I Vancouver International Film Festival I 2023
WINNER: LIUNA People's Choice Award I Windsor International Film Festival I 2023
BACK TO TOP
HOME
FILMS
TICKETS &VENUES
SPONSORS
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
FILM SUBMISSION
CONTACT
TERMS & CONDITIONS
FESTIVAL DATES
Program Announced
1 June 2024
Tickets on Sale
3 June 2024
Sydney Opening Night
23 June 2024
Festival Dates
23 June - 21 July 2024