The film, backed by Warsaw-based Zespół Filmowy Raban and set for Polish theatrical release on October 24, 2025, via distributor NEXT FILM, blends new footage, extensive interviews and previously unseen archives to explore the athlete’s battles inside and outside the ring.
“Sport was the anchor that kept me alive when everything else collapsed,” Szpilka says in the production notes, adding that faith, not titles, kept him from “giving up when life threw its hardest punches.”
Dzierżawski—whose 2013 music documentary Miłość won the top prize and audience award at the Kraków Film Festival—said he was drawn to Szpilka’s “contradictions, vulnerability and courage to face his demons,” arguing the story shows “there is always a path to start anew.”
Producer Maciej Ostatek called Szpilka “authentic” and said the goal is to show “he could have become world champion, but he won something more—himself.”
Shooting will continue through the year, the producers said.
(jh)
Source: NEXT FILM