Zaorski's "Picasso's Mermaid" opens in Polish cinemas on 23 October 2026

"Syrenka Picassa" ("Picasso's Mermaid"), a comedy-drama directed by Janusz Zaorski, opens in Polish cinemas on 23 October 2026. The film draws on a story that took place in Warsaw in 1948.

What the film is about

According to Polish Radio, Pablo Picasso drew a mermaid in charcoal on the wall of a flat on Warsaw's Koło estate that year. The film was made on the same estate that the painter visited. Filmweb's description suggests that the true story of the drawing might have made a comedy in the spirit of Bareja, but the film is directed by Zaorski.

Onet Kultura describes the film as a story about a work by a great artist that turns the lives of ordinary people upside down.

Crew and cast

The director is Janusz Zaorski, known for "Szczęśliwego Nowego Jorku", "Syberiada polska" and "Matka Królów". According to Filmweb, he returns to cinema after 13 years. The screenplay is by Roman Jarosz, the cinematography by Łukasz Gut and the music by Paweł Stolarczyk.

The cast includes Andrzej Seweryn, Magdalena Koleśnik, Maciej Musiał and Dominika Kluźniak, as well as Piotr Głowacki, Cezary Kosiński, Elżbieta Jarosik, Małgorzata Zajączkowska and Olgierd Łukaszewicz. Picasso is played by Oscar Martin. The film runs for 1 hour 35 minutes and is distributed by TVP.

Filmweb states that the world premiere took place on 21 September 2026.

Interview with the actresses

On 21 October 2026, Onet Kultura published an interview with Dominika Kluźniak and Magdalena Koleśnik. They discuss the privileges of great artists, the price of privacy and the boundaries they have learned to defend. Asked whether artists should be forgiven certain things, Kluźniak said: "I do not forgive."

What this means for readers in the UK

According to the sources, the release concerns cinemas in Poland. We found no information about screenings in the UK. Viewers in the UK can check local cinema listings or wait for a possible digital release.