{"id":50980,"date":"2026-06-23T13:30:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffartfilm.com\/?p=50980"},"modified":"2026-06-23T13:05:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:05:47","slug":"domalewski-presented-his-film-altar-boys-at-iff-art-film-a-drama-about-a-poor-version-of-the-avengers-who-try-to-enforce-the-ten-commandments-in-the-polish-countryside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffartfilm.com\/en\/blog\/news\/2026\/06\/domalewski-presented-his-film-altar-boys-at-iff-art-film-a-drama-about-a-poor-version-of-the-avengers-who-try-to-enforce-the-ten-commandments-in-the-polish-countryside\/","title":{"rendered":"Domalewski presented his film Altar Boys at IFF Art Film \u2014 a drama about a \u201cpoor version of the Avengers\u201d who try to enforce the Ten Commandments in the Polish countryside"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, 21 June 2026 at 19.00, the Polish feature film Altar Boys<\/em> (original title Ministranci<\/em>) had its festival screening at Kulturpark JOJ Cinema as part of the International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe. The 110-minute drama about a group of boys from a poor rural community who try to make their surroundings keep the Ten Commandments was presented at IFF Art Film in person by its director Piotr Domalewski. The introduction and the discussion were moderated by the festival team, and the hall of Kulturpark JOJ Cinema was sold out for the premiere screening. The film is competing for the Blue Angel award, and audiences who did not make it to the Sunday screening will be able to see it on Wednesday, 24 June at 17.00 at Kino Veritas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For director Piotr Domalewski<\/strong>, the film is essentially about an attempt to change the world \u2014 but you have to name that world precisely. \u201cIt’s a film about a group of young people who want to change the world. We have to be precise about describing their world: a poor neighbourhood in the countryside of Poland, a small community really connected with the church, because the church is the centre of culture and actually all matters of living there. The young altar boys want to change their community by checking whether they are trying to fulfill the Ten Commandments or not. If they do, they are awarded; if they don’t, they are punished. They are like modern Avengers. A poor version of the Avengers. That’s what the film is about,\u201d<\/em> said Domalewski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The film grows from the personal experience of the director, who himself comes from a conservative Catholic family. \u201cMy perspective is pretty honest, because I grew up in this kind of neighbourhood. I come from a conservative Catholic family and I was an altar boy for twelve years. So it’s not that I am devoted to the organisation \u2014 because I call the Catholic Church an organisation, since it has nothing to do with the faith. You have to separate those two factors: first is administration and organisation, which the Church basically is, and the second thing is faith. I am not trying in any way to blame faith \u2014 it’s all about the organisation,\u201d<\/em> he stressed. He considers the rebellion against taboo a natural part of filmmaking. \u201cThe Church is the kind of organisation that is really afraid of conversation on any level. There always have to be some people who will be against even touching this subject \u2014 but there are a lot of supporters as well. If you try to make a film that everyone loves, it has to be bad. There always has to be someone who is against it, and that’s basically what filmmaking is about for me,\u201d<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n

The choice of child protagonists was crucial for Domalewski<\/strong> for the credibility of the film. \u201cI chose a child perspective because when we are talking about these factors connected to faith, to good deeds, evil deeds, you have to have a perspective that is believable to really engage emotionally in the topic. Adult people \u2014 and myself too \u2014 are not too dedicated to factors like fate, honour any more; relativity is what drives us. Kids don’t have that. They can separate good things from bad things and they see the difference and the gap between them. And that’s why they are honest in making the crusade \u2014 basically they are kind of little crusaders,\u201d<\/em> the director explained.<\/p>\n

Working with child actors required a different directorial approach \u2014 Domalewski<\/strong> is originally an actor and he addressed this difference intentionally. \u201cWorking with young actors costs you ten times more patience than usual work. We prepared workshops, we rehearsed scenes, we worked on their choreography in different locations. I’m originally an actor, but I wasn’t trying to teach them how to act \u2014 you can’t learn that, you either have it in you or not. I was trying rather to create in them the feeling that they are safe and within the borders we drew at the beginning, they can do whatever they want. And I think it worked great,\u201d<\/em> said Domalewski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At its first international screening at the Palm Springs Film Festival, the topic resonated also beyond the Polish-Catholic context. \u201cAt Palm Springs there were about 140 films from all around the world \u2014 all the awarded films from Europe and other countries. Out of those, the audience chose eight for the final screening \u2014 and Altar Boys was among them. Maybe it tells us something about human nature: we say one thing and do something completely different. Politics is the extreme example of that \u2014 they say they’re saving the world, and at the same time they fly a jet to get a coffee. Maybe the film is also about trying to understand that human nature,\u201d<\/em> Piotr Domalewski<\/strong> summed up.<\/p>\n