The awards gala took place on the evening of the 19th of March at Warsaw's National Theatre. Róża (Rose) also scored Smarzowski the award for Best Director and the film's screenwriter Michał Szczerbicow won for Best Screenplay. The film's female lead Agata Kulesza took home the Best Actress Award and Best Supporting Actor was given to Jacek Braciak, also for his role in Róza. The film also won the Audience Award at the gala.
Róza is set in the district of Mazury (Masuria), located along the former Polish-Prussian border, between 1945-46. After World War II, the region - which had been previously subject to strident Gemanification - is handed over to Poland. Those residents of German roots leave for Germany. If they want to remain, they have to learn Polish and get along with new Polish settlers. In the summer of 1945, Tadeusz Mazur (played by Marcin Dorociński), a former Army soldier who lost everything in the war, arrives in the area. The man comes to a house owned by a woman named Rose (Agata Kulesza). She speaks German and Polish as the widow of a German soldier. Tadeusz learns the dramatic story of the woman's life - she was brutally raped by soldiers and forced into prostitution by the Soviets. Rose is treated with contempt by new settlers in Mazury, who look upon her as a German. An emotional tie flourishes between the soldier and Rose.
Best Cinematography went to Jolanta Dylewska for In Darkness, the film about Jews hiding out in the sewers of Lviv during the Holocaust. Her singular technique of capturing the veritable darkness of the sewers has gained her recognition around the world and recently Variety magazine called her one of the up-and-coming people to watch in Hollywood. Best Actor was awarded to Robert Więckiewicz for his role in Agnieszka Holland's In Darkness and Kinga Preis won Best Supporting Actress, also for In Darkness. The film was Poland's Oscar candidate in 2012, losing out to Iran's Asghar Farhadi for A Separation.
Best Music went to Michał Lorenc for his work on Black Thursday (directed by Antoni Krauze). Katarzyna Sobańska and Marcel Sławiński won Best Set Design for Lech J. Majewski's The Mill and the Cross, while Dorota Roqueplo won Best Costume Design for the same film.
The Award for Discovery of the Year went to young director Jan Komasa for Suicide Room, a jarring animation/feature that takes a look into the dark corners of the virtual world of teenagers on the Internet. Janusz Majewski, who most recently directed Mała Matura, won for Lifetime Achievement.
The Orły Awards are given each year, this edition marking the 14th consecutive gala. Winners are decided upon by the Polish Film Academy, which numbers over 500 industry professionals.
Source: www.pnf.pl