True/False is an annual festival dedicated to documentary cinema and is regarded as one of the most important events in the United States devoted to non-fiction media. The organisers emphasise a communal and interdisciplinary experience: screenings are frequently accompanied by concerts, art installations and performance events, transforming the university town into a space of intense dialogue about reality and boundaries of documentary film. The festival consistently champions bold, auteur-driven forms, providing a platform for filmmakers who seek to push the limits of the genre.
“The Queen and the Smokehouse” portrays Miecia, the charismatic owner of a legendary fish smokehouse in the seaside town of Łeba, known locally as the ‘Queen of Łeba’. The camera follows her at a moment of transition: health problems force her to confront the future and an identity that has, for decades, been shaped entirely around work. Set against the backdrop of a summer resort, the film unfolds as an intimate story of ambition, sacrifice, work culture, as well as the necessity of redefining oneself in the face of passing time. Embedded in a landscape marked by a post-communist legacy, the documentary touches on issues of responsibility towards loved ones, social status and the personal cost of lifelong determination.
The film is produced by Munk Studio, operating within the Polish Filmmakers Association, in collaboration with Silver Frame.
KFF Sales is taking care of the international festival distribution and world sales of the film.
More information about the festival and its featured films is available here.