With his first film in seven years, legendary director Jerzy Skolimowski (Deep End, Moonlighting) directs one of his most free and visually inventive films yet, following the travels of a nomadic gray donkey named EO. After being removed from the traveling circus, which is the only life he’s ever known, EO begins a trek across the Polish and Italian countryside, experiencing cruelty and kindness in equal measure, all the while observing the follies and triumphs of humankind. During his travels, EO is both helped and hindered by a cast of characters including a young Italian priest (Lorenzo Zurzolo), a Countess (Isabelle Huppert), and a rowdy Polish soccer team. Loosely inspired by Robert Bresson’s Au hasard Balthazar, and featuring immersive, stunning cinematography by Michal Dymek coupled with Pawel Mykietyn’s resonant score, Skolimowski’s film puts the viewer in the perspective of its four-legged protagonist. EO’s journey speaks to the world around us, an equine hero boldly pointing out societal ills, and serving as warning to the dangers of neglect and inaction, all while on a quest for freedom.

Oscar Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards
Cannes Jury Prize Winner
New York Film Critics Circle Winner – Best International Film
Top 10 Film of 2022 – Film Comment, Sight and Sound, Manohla Dargis, Cahiers du cinéma, John Waters, Amy Taubin, Stephanie Zacharek, Justin Chang, RogerEbert.com

A sporadic yet highly inventive and original filmmaker, Jerzy Skolimowski is one of the few directors from the Eastern Bloc to earn a widespread reputation in the West. He attended the University of Warsaw, studying anthropology, history and literature. Early on he proved to be a young man of many talents; he not only published a number of short stories and two volumes of poetry, but was also a practicing jazz musician. Previous films include Circle of Deceit (1981) and 11 Minutes (2015).

“Clear-eyed and full of subtle feeling and empathy without solemnity, this is co-writer and director Jerzy Skolimowski’s first feature in seven years. It’s also very good.” ~ Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

“Pure, tender cinema is rare nowadays, but EO delivers.” ~ Alejandra Martinez, Austin Chronicle

World Cinema, Drama

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