Jagna is a humble woman forced to marry a wealthy and much older farmer named Boryna, even though she is in love with his son, Antek. Over time, she becomes the object of envy and hatred of the villagers, and she has to fight to preserve her independence. Set in the Polish countryside during the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries, the dramatic twists of the story are related to the passing of the seasons, the hard work in the fields and the traditional local festivals.
DK Welchman is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, awarded the Minister of Culture scholarship for special achievements in painting and graphics 4 times. Upon graduation, She directed five short films before her first feature film, the Oscar-nominated and European Film Award winning ‘Loving Vincent’, codirected with her husband, Hugh Welchman. Hugh graduated from Oxford University and the UK’s National Film and Television School. His graduation film, ‘Crowstone’ (2001), won the Cinefoundation Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He set up BreakThru Films, where he has produced 16 short films and two feature films, winning over 60 prizes at international festivals, including the Best Short Animation Oscar for ‘Peter & the Wolf’ (Suzie Templeton, 2006). ‘The Peasants’ will represent Germany in the race for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.