THE POLISH BRIDE

Beaten and bleeding, a young woman named Anna staggers trhough a small town in northern Holland before collapsing at the feet of Henk, a rough-hewn farmer. So begins THE POLISH BRIDE, first-time director Karim Traidia's taut pyschological drama. As the film progresses, we begin to understand the reasons for Anna's condition: she is an economic refugee from Poland brought to the region to work as a prostitute. Henk decides to offer her shelter until she recovers, and so begins a mutual transformation. He teaches her about his love for the Grongingen highlands, while she quietly but assertively sets out to soften some of his rough edges. Their blossoming love is threatened, however, when Anna's “employers” come looking for her. Monic Hendrinks and Jaap Spijkers turn in winning performances as the unlikely couple whose faces speak the love and conflict that their voices cannot, because of the language barrier. With excellent cinematography that captures the unhurried beauty of the landscape, THE POLISH BRIDE has been wining praise as a “touching lyrical gem.” In 1998, THE POLISH BRIDE grabbed the audience award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. (In Dutch and Polish with English subtitles)