Farewell to Autumn

Farewell to Autumn is a 1990 Polish drama film co-written and directed by Mariusz Trelinski. It was entered into the main competition at the 47th edition of the Venice Film Festival.

Plot

Atanazy Bazakbal, a disillusioned young writer, is obsessed with Hela Bertz, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Hela marries Prince Prepudrech while Atanazy weds Zofia Osłabędzka, but their double wedding is shattered by a violent communist uprising. Hela flees to Switzerland and takes Atanazy with her, but jealousy and betrayal follow: Atanazy kills Hela’s lover in a duel, and Zofia, neglected and pregnant, takes her own life.

Cast

Jan Frycz as Atanazy Bazakbal
Maria Pakulnis as Hela Bertz
Grazyna Trela as Zofia Oslabedzka
Henryk Bista as Belzebub Bertz
Jan Peszek as Conte Lohoyski
Leszek Abrahamowicz as Principer Prepudrech
Maciej Prus as Don Wyprztyk
Piotr Skiba as Zelislaw Smorski
Wojcie as Baron Chwazdrygiel

Reception

The film received numerous awards, including the Award of the Minister of Culture and Art and the awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the 1990 Polish Film Festival. It has been described as "the first postmodern Polish film that captivates with its visual opulence and profound interpretation of literary material and its use of the grotesque".