The Peasants, the new hand-painted animated feature from Loving Vincent filmmakers DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, will make its U.S. public exhibition debut on February 2, screening at the Laemmle Royal on Santa Monica Boulevard in Las Angeles. The ambitious, laboriously crafted adaptation of the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Polish author Wladyslaw Reymont is produced by Breakthru Films and distributed Stateside by Sony Pictures Classics.
Synopsis: The Peasants tells the story of Jagna, a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village — a hotbed of gossip and on-going feuds, held together, rich and poor, by pride in their land, adherence to colorful traditions and deep-rooted patriarchy. When Jagna finds herself caught between the conflicting desires of the village’s richest farmer, his eldest son, and other leading men of the community, her resistance puts her on a tragic collision course with the community around her.
One of the 33 films qualified to compete for the Best Animated Feature prize at the 96th Oscars, The Peasants made its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival to an enthusiastic critical reception, and was also an official selection of the American Film Institute’s 2023 AFI Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics acquired all rights to the film in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand.
Written and directed by DK and Hugh Welchman, The Peasants was hand-painted by an international team of artists who created oil painting based on live-action footage. The film stars Kamila Urzędowska as Jagna, Robert Gulaczyk as Antek and Mirosław Baka as Maciej. Cinematography was handled by Radosław Ładczuk, Kamil Polak and Szymon Kuriata, while the story is carried by a score by conceptual musician and hip-hop artist Łukasz Rostkowski (a.k.a. L.U.C), incorporating traditional Polish instruments, vocals and contemporary twists on the nation’s folk music.
