'Until Death Unites Us': A Dark Animation Comedy from Poland (In Focus: CEE Animation 2025)
Talking about death is never a family-friendly issue (even if it refers to families). Yet Polish animation director Nawojka Wierzbowska (her previous short film was the comically poignant 'I am not here anymore'), co-director Natalia Krawczuk (Ping Pong, Fences) and producer Zuzanna Maszka (GS Animation) got the coveted Feature Animation prize at the 2025 CEE Animation Forum with their 'Until Death Unites Us' project - "for the courageous, fresh and authentic approach to traditionally heavy and taboo topics - explored through the disarming power of humor and universally relatable characters'.
The Polish animation project will attend the next CARTOON Movie and pitch their project there to several European and international animation players. The story is based upon the previous short 'I am not here anymore'; Lady Death is bored with her job; one day, she mistakenly turns a dead Grandfather into a "Stuck Soul" that needs to stay in bodily function until they complete their mission in life. She has no option other than to stay on Earth and help him.
Story and Characters
Nawojka Wierzbowska: The Lady Death character was secondary in the short. So even if the same set of characters (Lady Death, Grandpa, Mama Vita, and the Dog) is transferred, the narrative spine is entirely new. I love the idea of creating an entirely new universe from scratch — the Afterlifes. It is the first time I am working on a story that takes place partly in an unreal world, and I truly enjoy inventing and defining all its rules and little details.
"But I am giving them [the short's previously secondary characters] now more traits, more flaws, and greater complexity in their relationships with one another. Watching them evolve in this new story feels a bit like witnessing the growth of your own child".
Two-director collaboration & the Animation Aesthetics
Nawojka Wierzbowska: I believe that certain stages of the filmmaking process, like the screenplay, benefit greatly from having two people involved. Shortly after deciding to expand the short into a feature, I invited Natalia to co-write the script with me. Since she also has experience as an animator and director, I felt that our collaboration could be equally valuable in the storyboard and animatic phases. I am convinced that working on these stages together will allow us to pay closer attention to detail and come up with more inventive and humorous elements.
Natalia Krawczuk: Part of the film takes place on Earth, and part of it in the Afterlife. Our main concern now is defining what both worlds will look like. The afterlife should be sterile and quite dark, with no natural light available. At the same time, Earth will be colourful, cosy, and also a bit messy and chaotic. So, depending on where the action of the film takes place, its look will be different. We’re now searching for the main rule to establish this difference. Whether it will be the difference in the way it will be drawn - like digital painting vs. plain vector drawings, or maybe even in the way it will be built – 2D vs 3D is still to be decided. We want the backgrounds to reflect how our main character feels in each of the environments; therefore, it is important to find the right look for it.
Pitching of Until Death Unites Us at the 2025 CEE Animation Forum (photo credit: Petra Sucha)
Feature Film Production Future:
Zuzanna Maszka: We see this project as a European co-production. We are currently considering France as a key potential partner — not only because our authors have strong artistic links to French culture and education, but also due to France’s long-standing tradition of supporting adult animation. At the same time, we are very open to exploring possibilities in Germany, given its strong regional funding system, as well as throughout the CEE region — including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Hungary, all of which could match the project creatively and financially. We don’t have confirmed partners yet; however, once we secure Polish financing for the development phase, our next step will be to start formal conversations with potential co-producers who could join us already at this early stage.
Pitching of Until Death Unites Us at the 2025 CEE Animation Forum (photo credit: Petra Sucha)
The CEE Animation Forum 2025 Experience
Zuzanna Maszka: The CEE Animation Forum was an incredibly valuable experience for us. The feedback we received — both from the jury and from the audience — was overwhelmingly positive, which is extremely encouraging at such an early stage of development. The jury's recognition, along with the award itself, gives us confidence that the film has genuine potential for success and international visibility. Being selected directly for Cartoon Movie is absolutely mind-blowing for us; presenting the project there as “in concept” feels like the perfect timing. We hope it will open doors to finding our ideal co-production partner — or several.
'Until Death Unites Us' was developed as part of the CEE Animation Workshop.
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