Our The Road Less Traveled Premieres in the Region
“A year ago we were filming our movie in the forests and by the lakes of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region. Now we’re back here for one of its very first screenings,” said director Zuzanna Grabowska. The Road Less Traveled was produced in cooperation with the Kujawy Pomorze Film Fund.
The film had its regional premiere on Sunday (28 June) during the BellaTOFIFEST International Film Festival in Toruń. Following the screening at CKK Jordanki, audiences met director Zuzanna Grabowska, actors Agata Wątróbska and Janusz Chabior, and members of the film crew.
“I’m deeply moved because this is one of the very first screenings of our film,” Grabowska said before the screening. “I wrote the screenplay together with my friend Agata Wątróbska, who also plays my friend in the film. It’s a story about friendship, but also about loss.”
“We’re delighted to be able to travel this road once again together with all of you,” added Wątróbska.
“Being here in Toruń feels like being with family,” said Janusz Chabior. “My wife Agata Wątróbska is here, as is my friend Zuza Grabowska, along with many other friends. You could say this film was made by family and friends. We’re very curious to see how you receive it.”
Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski emphasised the importance of regional support for filmmaking.
“I’m convinced this is an outstanding film, and I’m proud that we helped bring it to life. It’s exactly the kind of cinema I enjoy, and I believe audiences will appreciate it as well. This is a great example of how effectively the Kujawy Pomorze Film Fund supports truly valuable productions. Together, we have created a new way of promoting our region as a destination for filmmaking.”
A Festival Journey
The directorial debut of actress Zuzanna Grabowska premiered in early May at the Kino na Granicy (Cinema on the Border) Festival in Cieszyn.
Filmed in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region, primarily in Górzno and Szubin, The Road Less Traveled follows Julia (Grabowska) and Weronika (Wątróbska), who reunite after several years to attend the funeral of a close friend. Their journey becomes an opportunity to revisit shared memories, unresolved emotions and the experiences that shaped their relationship.
The supporting cast includes Andrzej Grabowski, Janusz Chabior, Mirosław Zbrojewicz and Paweł Domagała, who also produced the film.
Film critic Łukasz Maciejewski praised the production:
“Zuzanna Grabowska directs the story with a confident hand while also delivering the lead performance. Agata Wątróbska, who co-wrote the screenplay with Grabowska, brings heart, sensitivity and talent to the film. In the background we see a changing Polish countryside, along with its traditions and customs.”
The Road Less Traveled was produced in cooperation with the Kujawy Pomorze Film Fund and with support from European Union funding under a project promoting local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly businesses in the creative sector through film product placement.
At BellaTOFIFEST, the film is competing for the Golden Angel Award in the From Poland competition, showcasing the latest Polish feature films and documentaries. The winner will be chosen by festival audiences.
Two other films supported by the Kujawy Pomorze Film Fund are also competing: Wojciech Smarzowski’s acclaimed A Good Home (Dom dobry) and Candidates for Death (Kandydaci śmierci), the long-awaited documentary by Bydgoszcz-based director Maciej Cuske.
Actress, Screenwriter and Director
Zuzanna Grabowska is an actress, screenwriter and director who graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.
She made her acting debut at the age of eleven in the television theatre production Little Lord. Five years later she appeared in the popular television series The World According to the Kiepskis, starring her father, Andrzej Grabowski.
She gained nationwide recognition for her role as Nina Jacewicz in the acclaimed World War II television series Days of Honour (Czas honoru), portraying a Pawiak prison inmate who later becomes a Gestapo collaborator. Together with her husband, Paweł Domagała, she also co-creates the comedy troupe Kabaret na Koniec Świata.
Dariusz Czołgowski
Department of Promotion
29 June 2026
