Fall 2026—Sunday, November 8, 7 p.m.
Through the Wall
Przez ścianę
Poland, 2025, 120 minutes
Written and directed by: Maciej Sobieszczański
Starring: Maria Dębska, Jakub Gierszał, Agnieszka Grochowska, and Arkadiusz Jakubik
Description
At the darkest time of Stalinist terror in Poland, two young political prisoners, Wiesia and Jerzy, are held in neighboring cells. They begin to talk in Morse code, tapping through the wall, and those conversations become their only escape from the brutality of prison. Without ever seeing each other, they fall in love and fight to be together.
The film is based on a true story. Wiesława Pajdak and Jerzy Śmiechowski met this way in a Warsaw prison in 1947; years later they married and spent more than half a century together. Through the Wall won the Golden Lions for Best Film at the 51st Polish Film Festival in Gdynia in 2026, along with awards for cinematography and from the journalists and art-house cinemas.
Closing reception. After the film, join us for a reception with Polish food prepared by Izabela and Janusz Tarłowski of Polska Chata in Rochester. Everyone is welcome.