At Mówmi Studio, we are particularly interested in stories that explore contemporary life through the perspectives of people whose experiences do not always fit into dominant narratives. This is why we are very happy to announce that we are working with actor and creator Michael Rubenfeld on a new documentary film series. We are responsible for the editing of the series, which consists of five 30-minute documentary films focusing on contemporary artists living and working in Poland who come from minority backgrounds.
Meeting Contemporary Artists in Poland
The series takes us into the worlds of artists whose practices are shaped by their personal histories, identities, communities and experiences of living in Poland. Rather than treating their work simply as a collection of finished artistic objects, the films look at the broader conditions in which art is created today. They ask questions such as: How do artists work in a world shaped by globalisation, political conflict and rapidly changing social realities? How do questions of identity, belonging and cultural inheritance enter contemporary artistic practice? What happens to artistic expression when private experience intersects with collective history? And how can art respond to a world in which established ideas about culture, community and identity are increasingly being challenged? These questions provide a broader context for encounters with the individual artists and their work.
A Guide Through the World of Contemporary Art
The series is guided by Michael Rubenfeld, an actor and creator born in Canada who has been living in Poland for the past ten years. Michael’s own position makes him a particularly interesting guide through these stories. Having moved to Poland from another country and built a life here, he approaches the artists from a perspective that combines personal experience of migration with a long-term engagement with Poland’s cultural landscape. His conversations with the artists provide the narrative framework for the films, creating space for encounters that go beyond conventional biographical portraits. The aim is not simply to present the artists and their work, but to place their practices within a wider conversation about culture, identity, history and the changing realities of contemporary life.
Art, Identity and Belonging
The five films present different artistic practices and very different personal stories. At the same time, they are connected by questions concerning the relationship between artistic practice and the experience of belonging to a minority community. For some of the artists, identity may be an explicit subject of their work. For others, it may operate more subtly, appearing through memories, visual language, family history, cultural references or relationships with the places in which they live. We are interested in these differences. Rather than presenting a single definition of minority identity or contemporary Polish culture, the series brings together multiple perspectives, experiences and artistic languages. The films allow these stories to exist alongside one another — sometimes complementing each other, sometimes creating tension or contradiction.
Jewish Creativity in Contemporary Poland
A significant part of the series focuses on Jewish artists and creators. For Mówmi Studio, this is a particularly important area of work. We have previously developed and produced projects dealing with Jewish history, memory and contemporary Jewish identity in Poland, and we are interested in looking beyond narratives centred exclusively on the Holocaust and the destruction of Jewish life. The series allows us to look instead at Jewish life as something contemporary, diverse and creative. The artists we meet are not simply connected to history. They are creating new work, developing new languages and negotiating questions of identity in the present. This creates an opportunity to ask different questions: How does Jewish heritage enter contemporary artistic practice? How is Jewish identity experienced by artists living in Poland today? How do memory and history interact with contemporary forms of artistic expression? And how can artistic practice participate in the ongoing process of redefining what Jewish cultural life in Poland can be?
A Continuing Network of Stories: The Series Coming in November 2026
The series is also connected to the ongoing work of Kultur Lige, whose growing network creates opportunities for dialogue, collaboration and the development of contemporary Jewish culture in Poland. We are particularly happy that the project can become part of this wider ecosystem, bringing together artists, audiences and different cultural experiences. The five films are currently in post-production, with Mówmi Studio responsible for editing and post-production, and will be broadcast by a public broadcaster in November 2026. We will announce further details at the beginning of November. For us, the series is another opportunity to look at Jewish life in Poland not only through the lens of history, but also through the creative practices, questions and experiences of people shaping its present.
Photograph by – Daniel Le Hai