Confession World Premiere Set for Warsaw Film Festival
Czech director Václav Marhoul will debut his new psychological drama Confession in the main competition at the Warsaw International Film Festival on October 15, Seznam Zprávy reported. The film marks Marhoul’s first feature since his 2019 Holocaust drama The Painted Bird, which screened at the Venice Film Festival and reached the Academy Awards shortlist. Distributor Bioscop has scheduled the domestic theatrical release for January 28, 2027.
Set inside Moscow’s Lubjanka prison in 1938 during the height of Soviet NKVD repression, the film explores the boundaries of human dignity and moral integrity. Marhoul stated that the story examines the immense pressure of maintaining personal ethics when one’s survival threatens the lives of others. While the premise shares thematic similarities with Artur London’s autobiographical book about the 1952 Slánský show trial, the director noted that the project is not a direct adaptation of that work.
Hollywood Production and Star-Studded Cast
Produced by Dallas Sonnier’s American company Bonfire Legend, the production utilized Santa Clarita Studios north of Los Angeles after just four months of preparation. The cast features an ensemble of international actors, including Rob Lowe, Jennifer Jason Leigh, James Franco, Nick Nolte, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Emile Hirsch, Richard Brake, Dean Norris, and Brad Dourif. Screenwriter Ben Shapiro collaborated on the project, describing the film as a work deeply rooted in faith, suffering, and the definition of a free person.
Several cast members bring notable accolades to the project. Jennifer Jason Leigh earned an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, while Nick Nolte holds three Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe win for The Prince of Tides. Brad Dourif secured an Oscar nomination, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for his breakout role in Miloš Forman’s 1975 classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Shooting on 35mm Film in Los Angeles
Director Václav Marhoul shot the entire feature on 35-millimeter negative film rather than digital video, maintaining the format he used for Smart Philip in 2003, Tobruk in 2008, and The Painted Bird. According to Marhoul, the traditional celluloid approach surprised Brad Dourif on set. The actor remarked that Clint Eastwood is currently the only other prominent filmmaker in Hollywood utilizing the format.
The technical approach limited individual takes to roughly ten seconds to allow for meticulous lighting control. Peter Menzies Jr., an Oscar winner for Mad Max: Fury Road, served as director of photography. Post-production work, including editing by Luděk Hudec and visual effects by UPP, took place in Prague.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will Confession have its public debut?
The film will premiere on October 15 in the main competition at the Warsaw International Film Festival under the English title Confession.
When does the movie arrive in Czech cinemas?
Bioscop will release the film in Czech theaters on January 28, 2027, following its festival run and international distribution rollout.
Who wrote the screenplay for the film?
American screenwriter Ben Shapiro penned the script for the stalinist-era psychological drama, which was produced in cooperation with Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend.