Polish poster for Black Robe

Posters are pivotal to the local and international release of a film in cinemas. They create buzz and tease aspects like tone, plot and key cast. But they can also differ from country to country – because what draws audiences to the cinema in one country might be different in another. This Polish poster for Black Robe (1991) was created specifically for the local audience – it features a painting from Polish artist Andrzej Pągowski of a Jesuit priest whose hat is aflame, while First Nations people travel by canoe on a river in the background. This showcases the dramatic mood and tension of the film, and symbolically reflects the plot, about the Jesuits' mission to impose religious beliefs on the First Nations peoples of New France (Canada) in the 17th century. Black Robe may not seem like an Australian film at first glance from the poster, but it was a Canadian-Australian co-production directed by Bruce Beresford.