Her only hope is to enter the nightmare.
Her only hope is to enter the nightmare.
A desperate mother uses a secret technology to enter her catatonic daughter's mind, but in the depths of the girl’s consciousness, she encounters the dark echoes of her own fears.
The dark 1930s. When conventional medicine and religion fail in the face of her daughter’s mysterious illness, a desperate mother undertakes a risky break-in at a psychiatric hospital. The true nightmare begins when a mysterious device opens a gateway not only into the shadowed depths of her child’s mind, but also into the hell of her own fears. In this metaphysical realm, guilt takes on a real form, and the fight for her daughter's life becomes a confrontation with the darkest part of herself.
The film is a stylish psychological drama infused with elements of horror, a modern spiritual séance that evokes the ghosts of 1930s cinema to tell a story of sacrifice and facing one’s inner demons.
I have always been fascinated by the idea of a Shadow. I do not mean the one that follows us, but rather the one hidden deep within us. Jung’s concept of the dark, repressed side of the human psyche struck me as a perfect foundation for a drama infused with metaphysical elements.
I believe that the atmosphere of classic horror cinema, specifically how it plays with light and darkness, provides the ideal language to tell this archetypal story. “Shadows” was born from this desire to create a universal psychological drama dressed in the costume of a 1930s movie.
At the heart of this story is the Mother and her ultimate question about the limits of sacrifice. What happens when love forces us to enter hell? Not the metaphysical one, but the hell of our own psyche where every step leads deeper into the hidden guilt. Her journey into the extrasensory void is not only a struggle to save her daughter, but above all a desperate attempt to confront her own guilt and accept the darkest parts of herself.
I was captivated by the tension between two perspectives, involving scientific precision and metaphysical mystery. Each offers a different explanation for the protagonist’s suffering, yet neither can truly bring her peace. The real answer lies beyond them both, in an act of pure and unconditional love.
I chose a black and white aesthetic because this story could not fully exist in color. It is a tale that unfolds in a liminal space, on the border between wakefulness and nightmare. The visual austerity and a minimalist approach are intended to focus the viewer’s full attention on the character’s emotional journey, creating a timeless story about how sometimes the hardest battle we fight is with ourselves.
“Shadows” is essentially a psychological drama dressed in a costume woven from mystery and a touch of horror. It tells the story of how the most difficult battles are not fought against monsters outside, but against the ones we nurture within ourselves. This is my dialogue with darkness, and I hope it will resonate with audiences as well.
“Shadows” was created as a short film as part of the 6th edition of the Directing Course organised by SPEAKERS' AVENUE.
Adam Paluch – Director, Writer, Producer.
A debuting director, screenwriter, and producer. He previously created digital worlds in the video game industry and now works daily as a UX designer, shaping user experiences. Ultimately, he turned his focus toward his greatest passion: cinema. His work is a dialogue with darkness, where psychological drama meets metaphysical fear. In film, he is drawn to what lies beneath the surface of the story – the mystical structures that govern human fate. His debut film, "Shadows", is both a love letter to early cinema and a dark treatise on the shadow that follows us and the one that dwells within us.
A writer, screenwriter, and screenwriting lecturer at the Warsaw Film School. A graduate of Theatre Studies at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw and the Screenwriting Program at the Łódź Film School, she has written feature film, television series, radio plays, and dramas (she received an award in the Script Pro competition for her screenplay for "Zgoda," among other awards). A member of the Polish Screenwriters' Guild and the Women of Film (Kobiety Filmu) group.
A debuting film producer, an experienced entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of an IT company. He recognized the artistic potential "Shadows" project, which he decided to provide strategic support for. As a co-producer, he facilitated the film's production, becoming its key patron and partner. His entry into the world of film is a natural extension of his passion for visual arts and new media, and the first step towards supporting bold, auteur cinema.
Since 2010, Speakers' Avenue has been hosting creative meetings, training sessions, and film courses for various skill levels. Courses are offered in Polish or English. Speakers' Avenue boasts an experienced and creative team of over 130 filmmakers: six Oscar nominees, BAFTA and European Film Award winners, and winners of the Berlinale as well as other leading festivals worldwide.
| Directed by | Adam Paluch |
| Written by | Małgorzata SobieszczaŃska Adam Paluch |
| Produced by | Adam Paluch Grzegorz Adamczyk |
| Co-producer | Speakers’ avenue |
| Production manager | JULIA WEJCMAN |
| Director of Photography | MICHAŁ DŁUGOŁĘCKI |
| Editor | MARCIN SZYMAŃSKI |
| 1st Assistant Director | BARBARA GŁĘBOCKA |
| Production Designer | KAROLINA KOZŁOWSKA |
| Costume Designer | KLARA GIERYCH |
| Production Sound Mixer | SZYMON KOSMOWSKI |
| Set Manager | DOMINIK DARDZIŃSKI |
| Camera Assistants | PRZEMYSŁAW SITEK WOJCIECH ZBOROWSKI |
| GAFFER | HUBERT STĘPIEŃ |
| Lighting Technicians | IRENEUSZ CHOJNACKI FILIP ZAŁUSKI MATEUSZ MICHALSKI TOMASZ PIASKOWSKI |
| Standby Art Director | MIRIAM RUSJAN |
| Art Director Assistants | MICHAŁ KIERSNOWSKI TATSIANA TSIMAFEICHYK |
| Make-up Artist | MARTYNA KORNIŁOW |
| Hair Stylist | MONIKA FILIPOWSKA |
| Practical props, BTS | KRISTIAN KANN |
| Script Supervisor | MAGDALENA ADAMOWICZ |
| Unit Manager | KONRAD PIETKIEWICZ |
| Assistant to the Director | ALEKSANDRA PALUCH |
| Sound Design & Mixing | MARTA WERONIKA WEROŃSKA STUDIO FONOGRAF |
| Color Grading | JAROSŁAW STERCZEWSKI COLORPRO |
| Visual Effects & Storyboard | Adam Paluch |
| Additional Storyboard | JAN TOPCZEWSKI |
| Artistic Supervision | TOMASZ GOLDBAUM-WLAZIŃSKI |
| Festival Distribution | AGNIESZKA DAMSKA-CORNISH |
| Website | MACIEJ MIŁANOWSKI |
| Drivers | JAN KANN BARBARA GŁĘBOCKA |
| Camera Equipment | ATM SYSTEMS JA CIĘ KRĘCĘ |
| Lighting Equipment | LIGHTHOUSE GURU |
We invite you to download the complete press kit (EPK) for the film “Shadows.” Inside, you will find detailed information about the production, a synopsis, and biographies of the creators, along with access to downloadable hi-res stills, BTS photos, and the poster.
DOWNLOAD EPK
Discover the dark world of “Shadows.”
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