As Long As They Don't Find Us

Poland2025documentary13'National Competition

Stefania Świeca was one of the first women to study directing at the Łódź Film School. She left behind only one film – a poignant film study in which she tried to tackle her own trauma of the Holocaust. The film ‘Rafał z lasu’ (starring Ryszarda Hanin), found in the School’s archives, gets a second life and presents the tragic wartime fate of Stefania and her family. Moreover, the story consists of excerpts from almost 30 films made in Łódź, which add to the study about the forgotten filmmaker. Her biography also gains a sequel, which shows the director’s post-war fate.