The Champion
Short description
Set in 1940, the story follows Tadeusz Pietrzykowski, a former boxing champion from Warsaw, after he arrives in the first transport of prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The camp officials force him to participate in boxing matches for their own amusement and gambling. While the officers view these fights as entertainment, the victories achieved by the man known as Teddy provide other prisoners with a sense of hope and the belief that their oppressors can be beaten. This growing spirit of resistance eventually leads to an inevitable clash with the camp authorities.
The film was directed and written by Maciej Barczewski, marking the first of two films he has directed before his 2024 work, Supersisters. Piotr Głowacki stars as the lead character, supported by a cast that includes Jan Szydłowski, Grzegorz Małecki, Marcin Bosak, Marcin Czarnik, and Marek Kasprzyk. Produced in Poland by companies including PISF and TVP, the drama has a runtime of 91 minutes. Audience reception has been generally positive, with the film earning a 6.8 rating on IMDb from 2,481 votes and a higher score of 7.7 on TMDB based on 219 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Among those who came from the Neuengamme concentration camp was an officer played by Martin Hugh Henley. The main character knew him from before the war (he was a referee at one of the boxing competitions held in Poznań).
- The film is based on the real-life events of Tadeusz Pietrzykowski, nicknamed Teddy, who was imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp. While incarcerated, he fought between 40 and 60 boxing matches, losing only once (this was a match against a middleweight champion from the Netherlands).
- To synchronize the sound during dubbing, the filmmakers used computer programs employing AI.
- The film was shot in Poland. Street scenes were organized in a reconstructed Auschwitz concentration camp built specifically for this project near Piaseczno. The set consisted of two huge buildings constructed specifically for the filming, which were then multiplied using digital technology during post-production. Indoor scenes were filmed, among other places, at Modlin Fortress.
- To prepare for the role, Piotr Glovațky (who played Tadeusz Pietrzykowski, nicknamed Teddy) spent a year learning to box and lost weight from 78 to 60 kg. He also made considerable effort to physically resemble the former boxer who ended up in Auschwitz.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
