King Matt The First

The world of sisters Zoja and Lea is filled with shared games, discoveries, and conversations, but also daily squabbles. Initially inseparable, they begin to drift apart as Zoja grows older, preferring books and peers over childhood play. Yet, both share a deep fear of adulthood, seeing it as a realm of dangers—war, climate disasters, and adult indifference. King Matt the First, a documentary by Jaśmina Wójcik, takes us into a childhood world free from hierarchy, where curiosity and emotions lead the way. Inspired by Janusz Korczak’s novel, the film explores the boundary between childhood and adulthood, asking what we lose as we grow up and what children can teach us—if we truly listen.