Celebration

Premiere: October 29, 2005.

---

Translated by: Elżbieta Frątczak-Nowotny
Directed by: Norbert Rakowski
Set: Wojciech Stefaniak

---

“Celebration” (Festen) is a stage adaptation of the film by Thomas Vinterberg, one of the co-authors (with Lars von Tier) of the famous manifest “Dogma 95”. The action focuses around the birthday of 60-year-old Helg, head of the family. Many guests including three adult children arrive. At the laid table, the jubilarian first listens to paeans in his honor, but then the oldest son’s speech becomes a catalyst of an avalanche of unforeseen events. The warm, family atmosphere quickly vanishes, and we become witnesses of confrontation with the hidden past. Celebration is a powerful stuff. A gripping story and a great analysis of the behavior of a closed community under certain conditions. Without anesthesia, it breaks the mask of hypocrisy and apparent joy. The authors made sure that we, the spectators, were not at low cost smarter than the average birthday participant. We invite you to … “Celebration”.

Starring: Małgorzata Abramowicz, Maria Kierzkowska, Karina Krzywicka, Anna Magalska-Milczarczyk, Anna Romanowicz-Kozanecka, Ewa Pietras, Mirosława Sobik, Wanda Ślęzak (guest), Jolanta Teska, Agnieszka Wawrzkiewicz, Ryszard Balcerek, Mieczysław Banasik, Dariusz Bereski,Jarosław Felczykowski, Paweł Kowalski, Sławomir Maciejewski, Marek Milczarczyk, Niko Niakas, Ives Mulenda Nyembo Makua (guest), Paweł Tchórzelski, Michał Marek Ubysz.

Duration: 2 h 15 min. (1 break)