Inspired by true events “Chemo” is an unconventional love story on the edge of life and death, told through tears and laughter. 30-year-old Benek is suffering from an existential crisis when he meets Lena – a beautiful young woman that mesmerizes him right from the start. They set off on a wild love journey when Benek learns that she’s not there for good – she’s got stage 3 cancer with no intention of treating it. Benek promises to stay with Lena until the very end but a surprising twist raises new hope for both of them.
directed by: Bartosz prokopowicz,
written by Bartosz Prokopowicz, Katarzyna Sarnowska
cast: Tomasz Schuchardt (Demon, In the Name of, You are God, The Christening), Agnieszka Zalewska (Demon, Sanctuary)
genre: romance/drama
production: Poland
language: Polish
original title: Chemia
Festivals & Awards:
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – East of the West competition
- Montreal Film Festival – Focus on World Cinema
- Cleveland International Film Festival
- Montreal Festival of New Cinema
- Batumi International Art House Film Festival
- Nottingham International Film Festival
- CINEDAYS Festival of European Film
- Film Festival Cottbus
- The Lower East Side Festival
- The Ottawa International Film Festival
- Hong Kong World International Film Festival
“Taking a light-hearted approach to dark subject matter, Chemo is a high-energy love story about lust for life in the shadow of death. (…) On a visual level, Chemo impresses.”
The Hollywood Reporter
“Leading Polish cinematographer makes a stylish feature helming debut”
Variety (Alissa Simon)
“Undeniably moving (…)
No one’s ever seen a terminal-disease meller quite like this one (…)
lands the crucial emotional body blow thanks to its consistent intensity of feeling (…) Idiosyncratic but not uncommercial”
Variety (Guy Lodge)