Animated film 'Our Land' brings feminist themes to young audiences

The animated film 'Our Land – La nostra terra' (original title: 'Chłopi'), directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, is released in Italian cinemas on December 2, 3, and 4 via Wanted Cinema. Based on Władysław Reymont's Nobel Prize-winning novel 'Chłopi' (The Peasants), the film uses oil painting animation, a technique previously employed by the directors in their Oscar-nominated 'Loving Vincent' (2018). The story follows Jagna, a young woman in a late 19th-century Polish village, exploring themes of female emancipation and societal oppression. The directors drew parallels between the novel's conflicts and contemporary issues, particularly online bullying and harassment of young women on social media. In Poland, the film attracted 2 million viewers, becoming the most successful Polish film in five years, outperforming 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' at the box office, with a predominantly young audience. The production involved painting approximately 40,000 frames, each taking at least five hours, based on live-action footage with Polish actors. The film premiered at the 24FRAME Future Film Festival.