POLISH FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

RZECZY NIEZBĘDNE

2024 / 101 min / color

A mysterious package is delivered to Ada (Dagmara Domińczyk), a renowned Hamburg-based journalist. It’s a book, a memoir written under a pseudonym by a woman who was abused by her father as a child. Ada decides to meet the author, who turns out to be an old school friend, Roksana (Katarzyna Warnke). They head out together to the town where they grew up, to confront Roksana’s mother (Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik). She was a silent witness to Roksana’s childhood hell, but when they question her she guards the family secrets quite fiercely. Ada decides to write a piece about the story, but the journey has another dimension for her. She has to face the demons of her own past, which are the reason she can’t move forward in her relationship with her partner despite being heavily pregnant. The emotions between the Ada and Roksana intensify, and it becomes increasingly difficult for Ada to keep her distance and distinguish between what’s true and what’s a lie. The screenplay for Kamila Tarabura’s debut feature is based on Katarzyna Surmiak-Domańska’s well-known investigative report, “Mokradełko” (“A Tiny Swamp”). Travel Essentials is a nuanced story about the experience of violence, its perception by society, and an attempt to face the past, with brilliantly written female characters.

A Q&A session with the filmmakers will take place during the film screening on May 2 at 12:00 PM at the Małopolska Garden of Arts – Mastercard Birthday Cinema.
Please note: the Q&A will be in Polish.

• Gdynia PFF – The Award of the Polish Film Festival – Sapphire Lions, Special Mention for Directing Debut or Second Film;
• Polityka’s Passport – Award in the Film Category