Gay Polish religious film to be shown in UK cinemas

An award-winning gay film from Poland, which the director hopes will start a debate about LGBT issues in the country, gets its premier in the UK on Friday.

Małgośka Szumowska’s ‘In the Name Of’ is a film about love, religious devotion and personal freedoms.

It tells the story of a priest who falls for an eccentric young man who cannot speak.

The film, which features a young male cast, has received strong reviews and also picked up three major awards at the Gdynia Film Festival – Poland’s equivalent to the Oscars.

“A large group of people will reject this film in Poland that’s for sure such as the groups close to the Church and conservative parties,” Małgośka Szumowska’s said. “In Poland it’s still a taboo even though the media brings up this tricky subject more and more often, but it’s always causes a lot of scandal. What I wouldn’t like is a cheap sensation, a bunch of shouters. I’d prefer a serious discussion.

“In Poland we still have a problem with accepting differences and manifestations of being different. The society still calls itself 90% catholic, and unfortunately very often it’s a synonym for being closed. I think that this film may be an important voice in a discussion.”

Poland is traditionally very conservative. The major opposition to introducing same-sex marriages and civil unions has come from the politically active Catholic Church and right-wing political parties.

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