MAIDENS OF THE WOLF

After the death of his friend, the man decides to go to the countryside, visit the place where he used to be in his youth — the houses of his uncle and the eponymous maidens from Wilka next to them. On the spot, he finds them all together. Walks, memories, shared meals, crossing the river — all this is done in search of lost time and as if out of time.

After the death of his friend and due to his state of health, Viktor Ruben (D. Olbrychski) decides to go to the countryside, visit the place where he used to be in his youth — the houses of his uncle and the eponymous maidens from Wilka next to them. On the spot he finds them all together: the housekeeper Kazija (K. Zachwatowicz) with her son, Julcia (A. Seniuk) with her daughters, there are also Jola (M. Komorowska) and Zosia (S. Celińska), and Tunia is already a big virgin. The only thing missing is Fela, who died years ago. Walks, memories, shared meals, crossing the river - all this is done in search of lost time and as if out of time. Andrzej Wajda and his crew made a film in tribute to Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, poet and writer. The author of the story personally appears on the screen already in the first shots, and the montage suggests identifying him with the main character. Indeed, the story is autobiographical and concerns the writer's stays in the manor in Byszewy near Łódź. In addition to masterpieces such as Wajda's “Brzezina” or “Mother Joanna from the Angels”, Iwaszkiewicz's short stories were the basis of the medium-length literary debuts of the younger generation in the X Film Ensemble, including Agnieszka Holland's “Evening with Abdon”. Among the director's collaborators on “Panny z Wilka” was Magdalena Łazarkiewicz, who returned to the location in the manor house in Radachówka near Kołbiela to make her film, an adaptation of Tadeusz Różewicz's drama “White Marriage”. The film was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Festival of Polish Feature Films and for the scenography by Alan Starski and Maria Osieckie-Kuminek. The film's success was sealed by an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film (1976).