The Cult “Curse of the Snake Valley” in a New Version
Residents of Bydgoszcz will have the opportunity to watch Marek Piestrak’s cult film The Curse of the Snake Valley (Klątwa Doliny Węży)—recipient of the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Film Award—in an unusual, refreshed version featuring an original narrative commentary by rapper Łona.
The 1988 production The Curse of the Snake Valley resists any straightforward classification. Created in the late period of the Polish People’s Republic, the film adapts a travel-adventure novel and takes viewers on a journey from European libraries and museums to exotic locations in Asia. It features a mysterious manuscript, ancient secrets, scientists, adventurers, exotic landscapes, and snakes. Everything initially suggests a classic adventure film, but the story quickly takes an unexpected turn.
The cast includes major Polish cinema stars of the time: Roman Wilhelmi, Krzysztof Kolberger, Ewa Sałacka, Henryk Bista, and Leon Niemczyk.
The film feels like a dream. Characters move between continents, uncover centuries-old mysteries, and escape danger, while the viewer wonders whether they are watching adventure cinema, horror, science fiction—or all of them at once. Although the final result fell short of Hollywood-style perfection, it gained something more valuable: a distinctive and unmistakable identity.
After its premiere, the film received mixed critical reactions, but audiences quickly turned it into one of the most recognizable titles of the late communist era in Poland. Over the following decades, it developed a second life—television broadcasts, online quotations, and new generations discovering its peculiar charm turned it into a pop-cultural phenomenon.
Nearly 40 years later, the film has returned to cinemas. Viewers will now see it in a restored version accompanied by a narrative commentary by rapper Łona, who guides the audience with warmth and humor through one of the most unusual adventures in Polish cinema history. This version will be screened on 11 June 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz.
Marek Piestrak (born 1938) is a Polish director, screenwriter, and producer, regarded as a pioneer of fantasy, adventure, and horror cinema in Poland. He gained popularity with films such as Test Pilot Pirx, She-Wolf, Return of the She-Wolf, and the cult classic The Curse of the Snake Valley. His work often explored genres rarely present in Polish cinema, blending adventure, suspense, horror, and science fiction. Although his films were sometimes met with mixed critical reception, they have achieved cult status and remain popular among fans of Polish pop culture.
He is a recipient of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Film Award named after Pola Negri, awarded in 2022 for his contribution to genre cinema and for the enduring legacy of She-Wolf, considered one of the best Polish horror films.
Promotion Department
Paweł Jankowski
5 June 2026