About
After the summer break, we are back with our long-running film project, Miasto Movie. We ended the spring season with the aesthetics of the Western and stories of the Wild West. Autumn and early winter, on the other hand, will belong to another genre that has a canonical place in film history – horror.
Horror cinema, as a category in its own right, is almost as old as the art of filmmaking itself. Here we might mention such masterpieces of German Expressionism as “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror”, as well as legendary adaptations of classic novels, foremost among them Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Throughout the more than 130-year history of cinema, so-called “tales of terror” have always enjoyed great popularity with audiences.
Over the years, horror has evolved beyond providing entertainment and adrenaline, moving also towards ambitious, artistic and socially engaged cinema. Contemporary filmmakers often use the genre to tell stories about the fears and problems facing our world today. The phenomenon itself has also given rise to numerous subgenres and movements (psychological horror, slasher, animal attack, gore, pastiche, survival, body horror, etc.).
As always, our series will feature a diverse selection. There will be no shortage of classics, as well as new releases from a variety of national cinemas around the world.
October 2026 programme
October 7 (Wednesday), 19:00 | “The Exorcist”, directed by William Friedkin, 122 min, USA 1973
October 14 (Wednesday), 19:00 | “From Dusk Till Dawn”, directed by Robert Rodriguez, 108 min, Mexico, USA 1996
October 21 (Wednesday), 19:00 | “Holy Spider”, directed by Ali Abbasi, 116 min, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Jordan 2022
October 28 (Wednesday), 19:00 | “Lighthouse”, directed by Robert Eggers, 110 min, Canada, USA 2019
Check out the programme in November 2026
Details
When: October 7, 14, 21, 28 (Wednesdays), 19.00
Where: Workshops of Culture in Lublin, Grodzka 5a, auditorium – 2nd floor
Admission free
Accessibility
- The event takes place in a venue that is not architecturally accessible.
- Check how to get there – watch the video.
- Read the basic accessibility information for Workshops of Culture.
- Tell us about your individual needs using the online form.
About the movies
“The Exorcist”, directed by William Friedkin, 122 min, USA 1973
According to many critics and film scholars, this is the most important horror film in the history of cinema, as well as a work that permanently changed the rules of the genre. This groundbreaking film by William Friedkin, awarded two Oscars, continues to inspire and serve as a point of reference for generations of filmmakers.
The story begins with the strange, disturbing behavior of a young girl, which increasingly frightens her mother. The woman calls in a succession of doctors and specialists. They all claim that the child is physically healthy, while her condition continues to deteriorate day by day. Eventually, the mother turns to a priest for help – the exorcist of the title. From that moment on, a battle for the child’s soul and body begins, at the same time symbolizing the struggle between the forces of good and evil.
Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and teenage Linda Blair deliver outstanding performances in “The Exorcist”. Blair’s role, which earned her, among other honors, a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, has become a permanent part of the history of world cinema.
“From Dusk Till Dawn”, directed by Robert Rodriguez, 108 min, Mexico, USA 1996
A classic from Robert Rodriguez’s filmography, this is a unique hybrid of horror, road movie, gangster film and black comedy. With considerable help from Quentin Tarantino on the screenplay, the Mexican director creates a truly explosive mix. Tarantino also plays one of the film’s main characters, Richie Gecko. His brother Seth Gecko is brilliantly portrayed by George Clooney, while the star-studded cast is rounded out by Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and the mesmerizing Salma Hayek.
The aforementioned Gecko brothers are ruthless criminals who need to make their way from the United States to Mexico. To do so, they kidnap Pastor Jacob and his family. Together, they head for a seedy joint called “Titty Twister”, where the brothers are supposed to meet their Mexican contact. What awaits them there will surpass the expectations of both the characters themselves and the film’s audience.
Alongside its wild screenplay and stellar cast, another important element of this cult production is its excellent soundtrack, featuring hits by ZZ Top, Tito & Tarantula and others.
“Holy Spider”, directed by Ali Abbasi, 116 min, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Jordan 2022
A film based on a true and shocking story that took place in Iran, in the city of Mashhad. The main character is a brave, uncompromising journalist investigating a serial killer targeting women, played brilliantly by Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance. The woman is up against both a fanatical criminal psychopath and an entire oppressive, patriarchal system.
“Holy Spider” works equally powerfully on two levels. The first is, of course, a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, built around the classic motif of an investigation. The second is a commentary – more terrifying than the killer himself – on the current situation of women in Iran, where religious fanaticism and sanctioned violence remain a real source of horror to this day.
“Holy Spider” draws inspiration from the finest thrillers and true crime films, while also being a bitter yet deeply necessary social drama that offers a glimpse into a world whose realities we are usually unaware of.
“Lighthouse”, directed by Robert Eggers, 110 min, Canada, USA 2019
Robert Eggers is now one of the leading figures in contemporary cinema. The director is fascinated by Gothic aesthetics, classic horror films, mysticism and the fairy-tale tradition of the Brothers Grimm. He made a remarkable debut with “The VVitch: A New-England Folktale”, where the distinctive features of his unique style were already apparent. He cemented his position with subsequent films such as “Nosferatu”, “The Northman” and “Lighthouse”, and later this year, “Werwulf”, his own take on the werewolf story, will hit cinemas.
As for “Lighthouse”, it is a phenomenal study of isolation and the paranoia it gives rise to. The film relies heavily on the outstanding performances of two actors – Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. They play lighthouse keepers cut off from the outside world. Trapped together, they gradually descend into madness and psychosis. The black-and-white cinematography, a nod to German Expressionism, tight, claustrophobic framing and an extraordinary atmosphere of mounting dread complete this remarkable work.