Returns: A Polish-Jewish Film Series: A Real Pain (2024, dir. Jesse Eisenberg)

Thu, October 22, 2026
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Founders Room (Ohio Union)

Join POLISH 5230 for a film series exploring the theme of "return" in films dealing with Polish-Jewish history, culture and identity. All screenings, besides that of A Real Pain (see details below), will take place in 360 Journalism Building. A short discussion will follow each film. Please send questions to Dr. Diana Sacilowski (sacilowski.1@osu.edu).

A Real Pain (2024, dir. Jesse Eisenberg)

Thursday, October 22, 5:30-8:00 PM, Founders Room (Ohio Union) 

Two cousins embark on a heritage tour across Poland to honor their late grandmother and reconnect with their family’s past. As they visit historical sites and confront difficult memories, long-standing tensions and personal differences resurface, turning the journey into both an exploration of family history and a deeper examination of grief, identity, and connection.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, the Melton Center for Jewish Studies, the Polish Club at Ohio State and the Polish Studies Initiative.


Film still from A Real Pain