CHALLENGE OF THE BOW. Confronting Trauma [REVIEW]

Challenge of the Bow, directed by Łukasz Barczyk (The Mover Unmoved, Influenza), opens with a quote from Homer’s Odyssey—specifically, a line spoken by Penelope. Like Penelope, the film’s main character, Marta (played by Marieta Żukowska), has lived for years in longing for her husband. But unlike the mythic heroine, Marta chooses to take control of her fate: after a decade, she returns to the Greek island of Thassos, where her husband Krzysztof disappeared. This marks the starting point of a film that’s formally complex and emotionally demanding, now reaching arthouse cinemas after its festival debut.

Marta arrives on the island with a film crew that’s making a documentary about her story. At the same time, they help her piece together what happened ten years earlier. As time unfolds, new details emerge, people from her past resurface, and Marta gradually reveals her inner life.

Challenge of the Bow fuses fictional narrative with documentary elements. Barczyk plays with form—some scenes are shot digitally, others (particularly flashbacks) on film stock, while experimenting boldly with color. The pacing is unhurried, with each scene functioning like a puzzle piece—mirroring the protagonist’s disorientation. Though the film is relatively short (under 90 minutes), its fractured style feels complete. Marieta Żukowska remains at the center of it all, accompanied by only a small group of actors (Barczyk himself appears in one role). Żukowska had the demanding task of portraying a woman who outwardly appears strong and composed, yet is deeply wounded by past trauma. She navigates this with grace. On the surface, Marta doesn’t seem like someone haunted by the past—elegant, well-groomed, and assertive (Żukowska herself designed the characters’ costumes). But eventually, that mask slips, and all the suppressed emotions come to light—emotions that demand to be confronted.

Watching Challenge of the Bow is best approached with a willingness to feel rather than analyze. It resists easy classification—this is more of an emotional experience than a traditional film, one we share with the protagonist. Depending on their own life experiences, viewers may connect with different scenes or lines of dialogue—or some may find themselves distanced, unable to find a point of entry. As Marieta Żukowska has said, the film isn’t meant to provoke any specific reaction; the viewer is the true protagonist here, and the director trusts the audience’s intelligence and openness. This is a modest, intimate piece of cinema that delves into repressed trauma and the weight of unspoken emotions. Even the setting is unexpectedly cold—Greece, often imagined as warm and idyllic, here greets Marta with wind, chill, and gray skies. The atmosphere is so heavy that when music occasionally breaks through (including “Seabird” by the Alessi Brothers), it’s like a breath of fresh air—one that Marta herself begins to feel, reflected in subtle changes in her appearance by the film’s end.

I’m genuinely curious how Challenge of the Bow will resonate with audiences. Personally, I was drawn into Marta’s story, felt compassion for her, and was eager to learn what truly happened to her husband. One thing is certain: this is a film that will evoke a range of reactions. It’s worth finding out what kind of response it stirs in you. It just might leave a lasting impression.