''Wigilia'' is a 2014

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Graham Drysdale and starring Iwona Glowinska and

Duglas T. Stewart Duglas T. Stewart (born 30 December 1964) has been leader and the main composer of Glaswegian indie pop band BMX Bandits since they formed in 1985. Stewart's songs often have a distinctive and wry combination of whimsy, bittersweet romance and ...

. It centres on a traditional Polish Christmas Eve ''

wigilia Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on December 24. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka—midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland and i ...

'' supper shared in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

by its two main characters, Agata and Robbie. The film is Drysdale's debut feature.

Plot

Agata, a Polish woman alone in Glasgow at Christmas time, sets out a wigilia supper in her boss's empty house, complete with the traditional extra place setting for a wondering pilgrim. Unbeknown to her, Robbie, her boss's brother, has decided to stop by for a few days, thinking he'd be alone. Robbie takes up the place of the wondering pilgrim at the table and the pair share the meal, not knowing the impact their encounter would have on each of their lives.

Production

''Wigilia'' came about after the film's producer challenged Drysdale to come up with a story for a film that could be shot in the space of five days, although the film was completed over six and a half. The latter scenes of the film were shot a year after the Polish wigilia scenes, mirroring the year between the meetings of Agata and Robbie. Much of the film's dialogue was improvised by Glowinska and Stewart.

Cast

Drysdale has said that he used the backgrounds of the two main actors - Glowinska is Polish and Stewart from Glasgow - to further the character development in the film: "The actors added a huge amount to the story and their characters. We talked a lot about their backgrounds – what had brought them here and how they would react to various situations." The part of Robbie was written with Stewart in mind, with Drysdale drawing on Stewart's musical background in a scene where he breaks into song.

Music

The film is scored by Jim Harbourne and features an original composition - ''Agata's Song'' - by Stewart and Norman Blake of

Teenage Fanclub Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Bellshill near Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), all of whom shared ...

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References

2014 films British Christmas films British drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s British films