The Promised Land

The film tells the story of Karol Borowiecki (D. Olbrychski), a young engineer working in a large factory owned by industrialist Bucholc in Łódź, who dreams of starting his own business. Together with his friends, Maks (A. Seweryn) and Moryc (W. Pszoniak), he decides to use confidential information about a planned increase in cotton prices to gather capital for his enterprise. Karol’s father arrives in town with his fiancée Anka (A. Nehrebecka), while the young man becomes entangled in an affair with the married Lucy Zuckerowa (K. Jędrusik), complicating his plans. After a fire destroys an uninsured factory, Karol finds salvation through the dowry of Mada Muller (B. Dykiel). The film also depicts the social tensions surrounding a workers’ revolt and the industrial community’s resistance to new initiatives. This production is a faithful adaptation of Władysław Reymont’s novel, portraying the growth of industrial Łódź.