HIDDEN
POLISH TITLE: UKRYTE
"Hidden" is an intimate, multi-layered film essay about fear—an emotion that permeates the body and mind, disrupts everyday rhythms, and, when suppressed, can have destructive effects.
How do I feel then? Responding to this seemingly simple question, the protagonistsshare personal experiences of this primal emotion, often passed down through
generations.
Through the sounds of breath, heartbeat, and subtle disturbances, fear becomes a sensory presence with its own rhythm and melody. Hypnotic sound and image create an immersive experience that allows emotions to be felt.
Drawing on polyphonic voices, archival footage from the Educational Film Studio in Lodz, and original staged imagery, Hidden explores the biological roots and bodily memory of fear, revealing how individual experiences gain a collective dimension.
- GENRE:
- documentary
- COUNTRY:
- Polska
- RUNNING TIME:
- 22'
- YEAR:
- 2026
- COLOUR:
- black and white
- DIRECTING:
- Monika Kotecka
- SCRIPT:
- Monika Kotecka, Beata Bartecka
- DOP:
- Monika Kotecka
- EDITOR:
- Mateusz Romaszkan
- MUSIC:
- Aleksandra Kotecka
- SOUND:
- Franciszek Kozłowski
- PRODUCTION:
- Marta Szymanowska
- COPRODUCTION:
- Wytwórnia Filmów Oświatowych, Gdański Fundusz Filmowy, EC1 Łódź – Miasto Kultury, Kijora Film, ABATOR
Monika Kotecka »
Cinematographer, director; she graduated in sociology from the University in Wrocław, in photography from the European Academy of Photography (EAF) in Warsaw, and in DoP studies from Łódź Film School. Her works have been presented at many festivals, including Cannes and the Berlinale. She formed the Kurkot Kollektiv with Karolina Poryzała. Their debut “Volte” was an award-winner at Hot Docs 2017 in Toronto, nominated for a Silver Eye Award in Jihlava, and presented at Sundance and IDFA. Their feature-length documentary “The Herd” received support from the PFI and HBO.
- Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival 2026, Greece, 2026 (competition)