Clergy

Three Polish priests. One is in the countryside, an alcoholic, and genuinely cares about his parish. One is after a career, works beside the bishop and handles the money for the construction of a large basilica. One has buried what was done to him as a child and is now doing something else. An event in the past binds the three of them, and they meet on the same day every year. Wojtek Smarzowski directs. The target is the institution. The narrative is not about individual priests but about a structure that answers to nobody: how child abuse is covered, how the money moves, and the relationship with politics are all shown directly. It caused a large argument in Poland. Some municipalities tried to block screenings and church authorities condemned it, and more than five million people saw it in cinemas, making it one of the most watched Polish films since 1989. Smarzowski's known manner is harsh. Violence, drink and humiliation are shown openly and the film saves nobody. The narrative overloads at times; all three strands run to catastrophe and some scenes stand like statements of thesis. Who it is for: viewers who follow Polish cinema and hard drama with an institutional argument. Who it is not for: the subject is very heavy, the scenes are explicit, and the film leaves no room to breathe at any point.