

From a Far Country
“The Epic Story of a Country - It's People and A Man”
Synopsis
This heroic story follows the life of Karol Wojtyla, a Polish Roman catholic who ascends the throne of St. Peter as Pope John Paul II. As a young boy, Karol is a bright and talented student. Archbishop Sapieha recognizes the very special, moving qualities Karol possesses and encourages him to consider the priesthood. Although determined to study Polish literature, Karol turns to the church; he is ordained and studies in Italy, France, and Belgium. Torn by fear and repression in post-Stalin Eastern Europe, Karol becomes a poisonous thorn in the communists' side. His deer reverence and commitment return him to Poland as Pope John Paul II.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Sam Neill
Marian
Christopher Cazenove
Tadek Sobański
Lisa Harrow
Wanda
John Welsh
Priest
Maurice Denham
Sapieha
Cezary Morawski
Karol Wojtyła
Daniel Olbrychski
Captain
Maja Komorowska
Nun
Izabela Olszewska
Andrzej Łapicki
German Officer
Zbigniew Zapasiewicz
Mieczysław Kotlarczyk
Piotr Fronczewski
Palitsch
Maciej Robakiewicz
Tadeusz Bradecki
Marek Kondrat
Policeman
Jerzy Stuhr
Engineer
Jerzy Zelnik
Jerzy Nowak
Professor
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Krzysztof Zanussi
- Screenplay & Story
- Diego Fabbri, Andrzej Kijowski, Vincenzo Labella, Jan Józef Szczepański, Krzysztof Zanussi
- Original Score
- Wojciech Kilar
- Original Title
- From a Far Country
- Country of Origin
- Italy, Poland, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English, Polish
- Runtime
- 2h 20m
- Production Studios
- Trans World Film, ITC Entertainment
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Krzysztof Zanussi
Diego Fabbri, Andrzej Kijowski, Vincenzo Labella, Jan Józef Szczepański, Krzysztof Zanussi
Wojciech Kilar
Sławomir Idziak
Paolo Fabbri, Antony Gibbs, Waldemar Król
Vincenzo Labella, Giacomo Pezzali
Department Leadership Roster
Krzysztof Zanussi
Director
Andrzej Kijowski
Writer
Vincenzo Labella
Writer
Jan Józef Szczepański
Writer
Krzysztof Zanussi
Writer
Vincenzo Labella
Producer
Giacomo Pezzali
Producer
Sławomir Idziak
Director of Photography
Paolo Fabbri
Editor
Antony Gibbs
Editor
Waldemar Król
Editor
Janusz Sosnowski
Production Design
Anna B. Sheppard
Costume Design
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for From a Far Country.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring From a Far Country.
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
B Gardens
Full library from Vio, Sonarr, and Radarr - 9,053 items
Biographies
Polish Films
Polish cinema: Wikidata country-of-origin Poland, merged with the canon (Polish Film School, Moral Anxiety, Has, Zulawski, Kieslowski, Wajda, contemporary).
list_History
Movies categorized under History
Marin WW2 2
Similar Titles to From a Far Country
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
More Like From a Far Country
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About From a Far Country
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is From a Far Country about?
This heroic story follows the life of Karol Wojtyla, a Polish Roman catholic who ascends the throne of St. Peter as Pope John Paul II. As a young boy, Karol is a bright and talented student. Archbishop Sapieha recognizes the very special, moving qualities Karol possesses and encourages him to consider the priesthood. Although determined to study Polish literature, Karol turns to the church; he is ordained and studies in Italy, France, and Belgium. Torn by fear and repression in post-Stalin Eastern Europe, Karol becomes a poisonous thorn in the communists' side. His deer reverence and commitment return him to Poland as Pope John Paul II.
Who directed From a Far Country?
From a Far Country was directed by Krzysztof Zanussi.
Who stars in From a Far Country?
The principal cast of From a Far Country includes Sam Neill, Christopher Cazenove, Lisa Harrow, John Welsh, Maurice Denham.
When was From a Far Country released and how long is it?
From a Far Country was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 2h 20m.
Who composed the musical score for From a Far Country?
The original motion picture soundtrack for From a Far Country was composed by Wojciech Kilar.




















