The King of Warsaw (Król)

Origin and Year: Poland, 2020	Director: Jan P. Matuszynski
Runnning time: 2 x 60 min

One of the most anticipated Polish series of recent times, based on the award-winning novel by Szczepan Twardoch, is set in the opulent halls and dusty courts of pre-war Warsaw. In the colourful, elegant and restless city, then nicknamed the Paris of the East, we first meet the leader of a Jewish gang, the idealistic socialist Kaplica, connected to the highest levels of politics, and his right-hand man, the war hero and boxer Szapiro. The historical crime drama with many twists and turns and a great production design recalls the forgotten multicultural history of Warsaw, depicting the struggles with nationalists and the Polish antisemitism. It is not only this that has led the local press to draw parallels with today’s reality. Král is also a tribute to the city, its architecture, artistic tradition and former surprising openness. Above all, however, it tells the story of an anti-hero who allows us to see Polish history from an unexpected angle.