8th OPEN THE DOOR International Festival: Sad River, Performative Law Institute (Poland, Warsaw)

The performance played with English subtitles and  Polish Sign Language translation.

In 2022, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has set a reward of one million zloty for identifying those responsible for the pollution of the Oder River. Who is responsible for the biggest environmental disaster of recent years?

The play “Sad River” explores the mechanisms, the people responsible, the acts and the negligence that led to this disaster. It also tells the story of a court battle for one million zlotys, which the play's creators brought against the Polish state in connection with the award announced by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. 'Smutna Rzeka' is a story about responsibility - for words, for the river, for the country. The title of the play refers to a song by Frederic Chopin, which is the musical theme used in the performance.

The performance “Sad River” is another project of the Performative Law Institute, which aims to treat art as a catalyst for social change. The group's previous projects include “Responsibility” (2022), about the migrant crisis, and “Silence” (2023), about war crimes and international justice. IPP brings together professionals from law, activism, journalism, theatre and the arts to understand and influence reality through artistic and legal tools.

The OPEN THE DOOR International Festival, thanks to its openness and inclusiveness, is one of the most unique festivals in Poland. Its programme includes, among others, works by artists with disabilities and artists from disadvantaged social groups. At OPEN THE DOOR we present the most interesting phenomena of contemporary theatre - Polish and foreign. The festival presentations arouse emotions, provoke discussion and familiarise with what is alien, difficult and often unavoidable.

We specifically target the phenomenon of exclusion, which can be caused by a wide variety of reasons, and above all - we fight for inclusion. We are overcoming barriers, breaking stereotypes and crossing borders. Selected festival events will be presented in Polish Sign Language, with surtitles and audiodescription.