TRAVEL ESSENTIALS (SYDNEY)

Based on the acclaimed investigative report “A Tiny Swamp”, Kamila Tarabura’s debut feature TRAVEL ESSENTIALS is a nuanced story about confronting the past and challenging societal perceptions. Featuring brilliantly written female characters, the film stars Polish-American actress Dagmara Domińczyk (best known for her role in HBO's “Succession”) and Katarzyna Warnke, who also co-wrote the script.

A mysterious package arrives for Ada, a renowned American journalist of Polish descent living in Hamburg. Inside is a memoir, written under a pseudonym by a woman requesting a meeting. To Ada’s surprise, the author turns out to be her old school friend, Roksana, who invites her to return to their childhood hometown. The reunion is anything but simple. When the heavily pregnant Ada travels to Poland, she is drawn into Roksana’s painful story — one of childhood abuse, long-buried trauma, and a desperate search for truth. Roksana is determined to confront her mother, who, she claims, turned a blind eye to the abuse inflicted by her husband. She hopes that this long-awaited confrontation will finally force her mother to acknowledge what she allowed to happen. But Roksana’s mother refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing, acting as if nothing Roksana speaks of ever took place. As Ada becomes entangled in the emotional fallout, she begins to question what is real and what isn’t — and whether some secrets are better left buried.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

WINNER: The Award of the Polish Film Festival – Sapphire Lions I 49th Gdynia Film Festival I 2024

WINNER: Honorable Mention – Best Debut Director I 49th Gdynia Film Festival I 2024

WINNER: Dr Irena Eris Award I 49th Gdynia Film Festival I 2024

WINNER: Award in the Film Category I Polityka’s Passport I 2024

NOMINATED: Golden Frog I Camerimage I 2024

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

drama I 2024 I Poland, Germany I 110 minutes

Original Title: RZECZY NIEZBEDNE

Director: Kamila Tarabura

Cast: Dagmara Dominczyk, Katarzyna Warnke, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Andrzej Konopka, Piotr Żurawski

Age recommendation: Mature Audience 15+

Language: English and Polish with English subtitles