THE LURE

In communist Warsaw of the late 80ies, man-eating sirens Golden and Silver lure unsuspecting victims down to the water with their song. One night, as they sit on the shore listening to young Mietek and his parents make music, they decide to forsake the hunt for once and instead follow these humans into their world, or more specifically into the dance salon “Adria” where they work. The young ladies’ irresistible tunes and solid good looks soon make them the main attraction at the shabby nightclub – the spectacle of shapely legs morphing into fishtails at first contact with water is no small help in this regard. Alas, Golden can’t seem to cure herself of her taste for human flesh, while naive Silver seems to be falling in love with young Mietek. But mermaids that fall in love with humans are famously faced with special challenges and dangers... Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s debut brings the heraldic Mermaid of Warsaw to life. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen, her delightful fusion of coming-of-age, horror, fantasy and musical genre elements also pays a warm tribute to Polish dance club culture of the 1980ies with its glamorous images.