The Last Family | Ostatnia Rodzina


Post-apocalyptic surrealism and home routine, the two opposite corners of a biopic that involves Zdzisław Beksinski, famous Polish painter of the first three decades of the twentieth century. The Last Family, the debut of Jan P. Matuszynski, is a truly original film in its ability to merge two worlds seemingly so far apart. The history and art of Beksinski is inextricably tied to his family, a universe in which the man immerses himself so far that he consumes himself. From the sick mother, to the beloved Catholic wife Zonia and to his son Tomasz, the weakest and tormented link: well-known radio DJ and translator into Polish of the Monty Python film, neurotic, with suicidal tendencies. The bittersweet narrative rhythm accompanies the flow of life between abandonment, pain, small authentic joys – above and within everything, art and its transfiguring breath.

Cast & Crew

Cast: Andrzej Seweryn, Dawid Ogrodnik, Aleksandra Konieczna, Andrzej Chyra
Producers: Leszek Bodzak, Aneta Hickinbotham
Writer: Robert Bolesto
Cinematography: Kacper Fertacz
Production design: Jagna Janicka
Editing: Przemysław Chruścielewski
Sound: Jarosław Bajdowski, Kacper Habisiak, Marcin Kasiński

Festivals & Awards:

– Tromsø IFF
– Festival del Film Locarno. Best Actor
– Chicago International Film Festival. Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction
– Polish Film Festival. Golden Lion for Best Film, Best Actor & Actress, and Audience Award
– Denver International Film Festival. Krzysztof Kieslowski Award
– Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival. TAP Revelation Award, Jaeger – LeCoultre Best Film Award 
– Cameraimage. Golden Frog forBest Polish Film

Director Jan P. Matuszyński
Country Poland
Year 2016
Length 123 min
Language Polish English subtitles

About the director

Jan P. Matuszyński was born in 1984. Jan graduated in Film Directing from Krzysztof Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television University of Silesia in Katowice and completed the Documentary Course in Wajda School. His films such as 15 Years of SilenceAfter Party and Heaven have been screened and won prizes at numerous festivals in Poland and abroad. Jan P. Matuszyński is most recognized for his documentary Deep Love (Best Documentary Award at the 36th IFF in Moscow, the Silver Horn award for Best Feature Documentary Film at the 54th Kraków FF and more).

THE LAST FAMILY is his feature film debut.