With her platinum blonde hair, stylish makeup and chic outfits, 69-year-old Jola is quite a film character, but her life has been no Hollywood romance. After being married to an abusive, alcoholic man for 45 years, she decides to finally leave him behind at their house in Italy and start a new life in Poland, her home country. Reuniting with her long-time girlfriends, who shockingly all share the experience of domestic violence, Jola lazes on the beach, takes singing lessons and even embarks on a new love affair with Wojtek, a gentleman she meets at a Latin dance class. But the conservative powers of her culture and generation soon remind her of the sanctity of marriage. Torn between her strong Catholic values and her desire for emancipation, Jola will have to reinvent herself on her own terms, in this touching portrait of a woman equally vulnerable and courageous. Charlotte Selb
The Changing Face of Europe program presented in partnership with
MEDIA COVERAGE
- POV - "A candid, close-up portrait"