The Butler

Inspired by true events, THE BUTLER is an epic tale of the tangled fates of Poles, Kashubians and Germans, set against the dramatic events of the first half of the 20th century. After the death of his mother, Mateusz Krol (Sebastian Fabijański), a Kashubian boy, is taken in by a Prussian aristocrat, Gerda von Krauss (Anna Radwan). He grows up in a palace. Marita (Marianna Zydek), the daughter of the von Krausses, is his age. The two young people fall in love. The boy’s godfather, Kashubian patriot Bazyli Miotke (Janusz Gajos), takes part in the Peace Conference at Versailles where he fights for the place of Kashubia on the map of Poland.

The Treaty of Versailles that proclaims Poland an independent country also causes the von Krauss family to lose their estate and influence. Everyone feels that the world as they’ve known it is about to change in the most drastic way. In time, the animosity and mutual hatred between the Kashubians, Poles and Germans who live side by side deepens. The Second World War begins. In the forests of Piaśnica the Nazis perpetrate mass murder on civilians – the first genocide of WW2.