An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God

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The Old Tale: When the Sun Was a God

Directed by	Jerzy Hoffman
Produced by	Jerzy R. Michaluk, Jerzy Hoffman
Written by	Józef Hen, Jerzy Hoffman
Starring	Bohdan Stupka, Michał Żebrowski, Daniel Olbrychski
Music by	Krzesimir Debski
Cinematography	Pawel Lebieszew, Jerzy Gościk
Editing by	Cezary Grzesiuk
Release date(s)	2003
Running time	103 min.
Language	Polish
IMDb profile

An Ancient Tale: When the Sun was God is the English title of the Polish film Stara Baśń: Kiedy słonce było bogiem, directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 2003. The film is based on a novel by the Polish writer Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski.

An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was God takes place in ninth-century Europe, when different Slavic tribes live on the land that later becomes Poland; at a time when each tribe worshipped its own separate god. A cruel prince, Popiel, and his scheming wife will do anything in their power to pass control of this land to their son (and according to local legend, Popiel will ultimately be eaten by mice). The commander of Popiel's army, Piastun, is opposed to the crimes and intrigue that Popiel orders him to force on the people to guarantee the succession, and Piastun decides to leave Popiel.

Popiel seeks revenge against the commander, but Piastun is rescued from death by a young hunter and warrior, Ziemowit Pastowic. Ziemowit had spent years living with the Vikings and only recently had returned to this area, his former homeland. Ziemowit falls in love with Dziwa, the lovely daughter of Wisz, a wealthy local merchant, and wants to marry her. But Dziwa's fate has been decided by her father — she is to become a priestess in the local temple...