“The Shtetl of Tsanz” movie is a story of the pre-war Jewish Nowy Sącz. We are guided through this mysterious town – tragically wiped out by the cruelties of World War II – by Łukasz Połomski, a historian from Nowy Sącz, expert on the Jewish community of Nowy Sącz, friend and protégé of Jakub Müller, the last Jewish memory keeper in Nowy Sącz.

The premiere took place in the hospitable auditoria of the Lesser-Poland’s Culture Centre SOKÓŁ – cinema’s main auditorium and Sichrawa’s Auditorium (1st and 2nd part respectively) – and was quite popular among the citizens of Sącz and guests from outside the city. The event was organized in collaboration with the Lesser-Poland’s Culture Centre SOKÓŁ, Regional Museum in Nowym Sącz and Voivodship Public Pedagogical Library.

The event was opened and honoured by a performance by Urszula Makosz, who performed three Jewish songs for the gathered audience. Each of them was written in one of three languages used traditionally by Jewish communities in Europe: Yiddish, Ladino and Hebrew.
Urszula Makosz is a renowned songstress who performs Jewish songs during concerts and festivals in the country and abroad, accompanied by many excellent musicians.

After the movie screening we decided to honour the people that allowed this production to happen before the audience gathered in great numbers. Solemn thanks were given to the Patrons of our production: Maja & Łukasz Kopiec of the DaVinci Framing Salon, Bead Bros company, Dariusz Popiela as well as pastor Jacek Orłowski and the Pentecostal Church.
Special thanks to the Beskid Hotel were accepted by Karolina Popiela-Kozioł.  The Hotel has not only organizationally supported the movie premiere and events of the Meeting Jewish Holidays series organized within the Shtetl of Tsanz programme but it has also become the Patron of the Labyrith of History – one of the most important historical programmes organized by the Foundation in Nowy Sącz Thanks for the help in organization of the event are also due to Rafał Bobrowski and Amax Xero company as well as Fanaberia ice-cream parlour.

Last on our agenda was the discussion about the production of the movie with the movie creators Barbara Szewczyk (direction, cinematography, editing, screenplay), Maria Molenda (screenplay, producer) and Łukasz Połomski (screenplay, presenter) and also about remembering Jewish people with a special guest – Kamil Janicki, publicist and historian, editor of the ZNAK publishing house.

During upcoming months further screenings of the “Shtetl of Tsanz” movie are planned both in Nowy Sącz and other Polish cities. To all interested we recommend following the news on our webpage as well as Nomina Rosae Foundation and Sądecki Sztetl (Shtetl of Tsanz) Facebook fanpage.