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A prodigal son returns to his village at the beginning of Janusz Zaorski’s biting satire – an adaptation of Edward Redliński’s novel. Marian Grzyb (Marian Opania) arrives with a mission: to lead the residents of Wydmuchowo out of darkness and into modernity. The peasants aren’t convinced at first, but by the end, they’ll prove capable of beating him at his own game.

The film was produced by Pryzmat, one of several film collectives in socialist Poland. The group (‘zespół’) was later dissolved over alleged financial negligence and mismanagement during the production of Andrzej Żuławski’s sci-fi art epic On The Silver Globe.

Zaorski, present at a screening at Warsaw's Timeless Film Festival 50 years after the film’s premiere, offered up a few playful key phrases: ‘village within a city’, ‘city within a village’. But it’s perhaps more illuminating to turn to the words of another filmmaker.

Pawel Pawlikowski’s well-received drama unanimously selected for Foreign Language Oscar.

Paweł Pawlikowski’s drama Ida has been unanimously selected as Poland’s candidate for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award.

Committee members included Filip Bajon (chairman), Katarzyna Adamik, Jacek Bławut, Michał Komar, Agnieszka Odorowicz, Anda Rottenberg, Janusz Zaorski, and Marek Żydowicz.

“We had no doubt that Paweł Pawlikowski’s Ida is the film that has the biggest chance in this very competitive category,” said Odorowicz, general director of the Polish Film Institute.

The well-received drama about a young nun in 1960s Poland who discovers a dark secret in her family’s past has already won awards at festivals across Europe and taken more than $3.5m for Music Box Films in the Us.

Pawlikowski’s film is widely considered to be a live contender for the award even at this early stage.

Andrzej Pągowski's Empire Of The Sun poster artwork. The Play Poland film festival kicked off last night at Edinburgh Filmhouse with Malgorzata Szumowska's award-winning In The Name Of..., which explores the quandry faced by a priest questioning his sexuality and his chastity.

The festival - which will also screen films in Glasgow, Belfast, Sunderland, Birmingham, Oxford and London - is also showcasing the work of Polish film artist legend Andrzej Pągowski, who is leading a two-day graphics workshop at Edinburgh's Meow Studios. His work - which tends to focus on the emotional heart of the film in question - includes the striking image for Empire Of The Sun. An exhibition of posters from the Polish School of Poster Art will also be on display at various venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Among the other films screening are Katarzyna Rosłaniec's tale of a rebellious young mum Baby Blues and Janusz Zaorski...