Woman on the Roof

Co-presented with the Honorary Patron of Polish Component, The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in new York and the University of Pittsburgh European Studies Center
Co-sponsored by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies and the European Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh, the Kościuszko Foundation, Pittsburgh Chapter, Polish Falcons of America, Pittsburgh Chapter
Directed by Anna Jadowska
Run Time: 97 mins
Released: Poland/2022
Language: Polish
Woman on the Roof is an incisive critique of womanhood in Poland that resonates with global audiences. At 60 years old, Mirka is struggling to find direction as she enters her twilight years. She stages a sudden act of defiance – an attempted bank robbery. Mirka’s journey through cold state bureaucracies uncover a world where she struggles to belong. Woman on the Roof offers insights on an increasingly alienating world. What happens in our twilight years and how do we navigate it? How do our own positions in the world shape the ways in which we grow old?


"While the entire premise has an air of dark comedy about it, director Anna Jadowska takes a spare, dour and brittle approach as she explores how Mira’s life and identity have been slowly eroded, leaving her to do little more than cry out into the darkness… Woman on the Roof is a character study that explores notions of the malaise that can hit people as they enter their twilight years, as well as touching upon ideas of those suffering from untreated depression." – Cineuropa
Event includes
Virtual Discussion with director Anna Jadowska
Moderated by Jolanta Lion, Assistant Director, The Humanities Center, CMU & Pawel Lewicki, Associate Director, European Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
Reception catered by Apteka


Anna Jadowska
Awards
Born in 1973 in Oleśnica, Poland, Anna Jadowska is a filmmaker and graduate of the Łódź Film School and Wajda Masterschool of Directingwhose. Her films start with a character before anything else. Her debut feature, Dotknij mnie, won the Grand Prize of the Polish Film Festival’s Independent Film Competition. Her most recent film, Woman on the Roof, has won numerous awards.

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Winner of Best Actress in Feature Film, Polish Film Festival
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Winner of Polish Film Award, Camerimage
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Nominee for Golden Frog, Camerimage
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Winner of Best Performance in International Narrative Competition, Tribeca Film Festival