On 29–30 November 2025, the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw will once again host Poland’s only recurring showcase of ethnographic films — the nineteenth edition of “Eyes and Lenses”!
The “Pracownia Etnograficzna” Association will take you on a cinematic journey through many parts of the world and into themes exploring different dimensions of human experience. We will reflect, among other things, on bodily practices in the context of illness, childbirth, and ageing. We will try to understand why and how communities turn to colonial archives to retell their own histories. We will hear the voices of women fighting for recognition of their work — from caregivers in Austria, to mussel gatherers in Galicia, to recyclers in Ecuador. We will learn the stories of refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Western Sahara, and see how daily life, dreams, and revolutions unfold in the shadow of global conflicts.
“Eyes and Lenses” is a unique opportunity to engage not only with film, but also with social research. During the showcase, you’ll be able to see films created by ethnographers as well as documentaries distinguished by their social sensitivity.
The screenings will be accompanied by meetings with the creators, where you’ll have the chance to ask about the behind-the-scenes of their work!
Admission free
Help make this year’s showcase happen by donating to the Pracownia Etnograficzna Association!
