Poles have never made a film like this before. The inspiration came from world hits, including: “Private Ryan”

“Red Poppies” is the first Polish feature film about the famous and victorious Battle of Monte Cassino. The production was shot in Croatia (Zadar, Nekić, Marasović, Tulove Grede), Bulgaria (Sofia, Varvara), Italy (Monte Cassino) and Poland. Once again, war cinema specialist Krzysztof Łukaszewicz (“Eagles: Grodno ’39”, “Karbala”, “General Nil”) refers to the most important and dramatic pages of Polish history.

“Red poppies”. There is a trailer for a movie about the Battle of Monte Cassino

“In the film, produced by the Documentary and Feature Film Studio, fiction intertwines with facts, creating a magnetic and engaging story for viewers,” we read in the production description. “The race against time, the tense process of planning the attack and the huge weight of irreversible decisions made by the commanders of the II Corps make “Red Poppies” a film that leaves unforgettable emotions,” adds the distributor.

The creators of “Red Poppies” were inspired by other battle cinema productions showing the realities of World War II (e.g. “The Longest Day” (1962), “A Bridge Too Far” (1977), “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), “Dunkirk” (2017) )). Similarly to the works of world directors, historical events are shown here through the prism of the fate of individual heroes.

“Red poppies”. When is the film premiere?

We see the history of the battle through the eyes of Jędrek – a young boy who went through the hell of the labor camps and left Russia with Anders’ Army as one of thousands of orphans. The time of captivity changed him from a boy from a good family into a schemer and a petty thief who will do anything to survive. However, contact with the soldiers of the II Corps and the awakening love for the nurse Pola will cause Jędrek to undergo a profound transformation. Soon, there will be a decisive attack on the front against the monastery defended by German troops, located on the Monte Cassino hills – this spectacular battle will decide the lives of many soldiers and the further attack of the Allied army in Italy, and will change Jędrek’s life forever.

Apart from Jędrek (Nicolas Przygoda) and Pola (Magdalena Żak), the heroes of the film are also a war correspondent (Leszek Lichota), who becomes a mentor to the rebellious teenager, and Jędrek’s brother Stanisław (Szymon Piotr Warszawski), an armored officer whose unit plays a key role during storm. We will also see historical figures on the screen – Michał Żurawski played the role of the legendary General Anders, and Mark Kitto played the British General Oliver Leese. The film also stars: Bartłomiej Topa, Łukasz Garlicki, Andrzej Mastalerz, Mateusz Banasiuk, Radosław Pazura, Szymon Nygard and others. The film will hit Polish cinemas on April 5, 2024.