Some of my favourite moments included using puffy winter jackets hanging in the air to create the “dark forest”.

The stage set is kept intentionally minimalistic, but it does deliver some creative ideas. So, how did Complicite’s stage production compare to the previous efforts to visualise Tokarczuk’s book?Ĭomplicite & Simon McBurney, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, image credit Marc Brenner The film didn’t end up nominated for Oscars, but it still made huge waves – the film was shot so entrancingly, showcasing the touristically underrated Dolina Klodzka – that every single scene showcasing Polish forests and nature could be freeze-framed, printed and hung on the wall as a piece of art. The book and the movie became a nationwide argument (at least for a good week or two, until a new important news appeared, classic case). His voice is fully-acclaimed by the locals, but one person – Janina (this scene is also portrayed in Complicité’s production), turning her, naturally, into the village’s main feminist and laughing stock. Fair point about the second comment – the film’s plot features a memorable scene where a local priest keeps preaching about animals having no soul and simply existing to to serve men. The conservative part of Polish media expressed shock as they deemed the production “anti-Polish” and “anti-catholic”. I remember when Agnieszka Holland premiered her film version of Olga Tokarczuk’s book (in 2017), and the film was chosen to represent Poland at the Oscars.

from the almighty power of a local priest to fancy dress parties where you dance to the rhythm of classic disco polo, and the conservative society who thinks including the word “businesswomen” while greeting the crowd is considered a highly progressive act. Complicite & Simon McBurney, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, image credit Marc Brenner “Drive Your Plow…” portrays a painfully true picture of a small Polish village.

Drive your plow over