Following the historically smoggy winter of 2016/2017, Michał Konopa, a Warsaw-based father of an asthmatic child, decides to make a film about the complex world of Polish smog during the winter 'burning season' of 2017/2018. Featuring interviews with people across all levels of Polish society, SMOG WARS shows how air pollution can have a severe impact on a major European capital city in the year 2018 - and why solving the problem is easier said than done.

This version has English narration and English and Polish subtitles (check that they are switched on in CC settings).

SMOG WARS is the first long-form documentary about the air pollution problem in Poland. We made it for the simple reason that we are concerned for our health, and we want to support the movement to redefine air quality standards in our country.

Production was independently financed by private individuals who want to make a difference for the environment in Poland. It was not made with a profit motive. If you find it to be of any value, please consider making a donation to the Children’s Memorial Health Institute (CZD) in Warsaw, to which the film is dedicated. [ Ссылка ]

Smog Wars premiered in October 2018 at the New Earth International Film Festival in Cracow, where it was awarded Third Prize in the feature-length documentary competition. Television airing rights were acquired by TVN24, where the film had its TV premiere on December 2, 2018.

Directed by
Jonathan L. Ramsey

Produced and Narrated by
Michał Konopa

Written by
Jonathan L. Ramsey and Michał Konopa

Director of Photography
Rafał Kruszka

Drone Photography
Radek Pachowicz ([ Ссылка ])

Edited by
Jerzy Łapiński

Music by
Marc Dehays

Additional Photography by
Jonathan L. Ramsey

January 2017 Still Photographs by
Maciej Margas

Associate Producers
Aleksandra Parnowska-Ramsey
Justyna Krzywicka

App screenshot visuals used with permission from the following mobile applications:
Airly
Plume
AirVisual

“Map of Warsaw Furnaces” graphic by Miasto Jest Nasze.
Used with Author’s permission.
Original source: [ Ссылка ]

"50 Most Polluted Cities in the European Union” Graphic by
Greenpeace Unearthed, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, International License.
Special thanks to Lauri Myllyvirta, Emma Howard, and Lisa Cave.
Original Source: [ Ссылка ]

Additional Music

“I Don’t See the Branches, I See the Leaves” by Chris Zabriskie (chriszabriskie.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

Camera and Audio Rentals from Little Beast.

Audio mixing at Pug Music Studios in Warsaw.

Filmed in and around Warsaw, Poland. All rights reserved, 2018.

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