Synopsis

Adam, a young Pole who, like many of his countrymen, earns his money abroad. In his case in the Netherlands, he returns to his family in the eastern, economically disadvantaged part of Poland for Christmas to announce that his girlfriend is pregnant. At the same time he is planning to redesign his future: he wants to start his own company, but he lacks the necessary resources. Adam’s father was also working abroad and is now struggling with his alcohol problem, while his patiently loving mother fights to keep her family from falling apart. Director Piotr Domalewski, who presents his first feature film, manages to show how fragile a family structure can be and manages to strike a warm tone without having to resort to worn-out Christmas film clichés. The subtle treatment of problems such as lack of understanding and alienation, which many Polish migrant workers have when they return home, are just as much a powerful part of Silent Night as the outstanding performers. At the Pational Film Festival in Gdynia 2017, it was honoured with the Best Film Award. It was nominated no less than eleven times at the Polish Film Awards – an amazing performance for a debut film.