Provincial Actors

Agnieszka Holland’s feature film debut goes behind the scenes and exposes power, prestige and dreams of artistic freedom.

At a provincial theater in Poland, an ensemble prepares for a classical production. As rehearsals unfold, tensions grow between artistic ambitions, censorship, and hierarchies. One of the ensemble’s idealistic actors sees the opportunity of a lifetime, but his ambitions soon clash with the director’s contemporary vision. The conflicts spill over into private life and the actor’s self-examination pushes his wife into the background. With black humor and dramaturgical precision, Agnieszka Holland portrays the conditions of art and human existence under ideological control.

• Stina Broder