DOCU/WORLD

Of Animals and Men

Year
2019
Country
Poland
Duration
70’
Director
Łukasz Czajka

Of Animals and Men is a creative documentary about what happened in Warsaw Zoo before and during the Second World War. The film’s main characters are Jan Żabiński, the zoo’s creator and director for many years, and his wife Antonina Żabińska. In wartime, they offered refuge to the Jews and Polish resistance fighters by hiding them in the desolate zoo, in their own house and the empty back rooms of animal pens. In total, they managed to shelter about three hundred people. The secret guests used to stay in the zoo from a few days to many months.

CREW:
Director: Łukasz Czajka
Producer: Anna Wereda
Cinematographer: Kacper Czubak
Editor: Jakub Piątek
Sound: Marcin Lenarczyk
Production
Autograf Karol Wożbiński
Director
Łukasz Czajka

Łukasz Czajka is a film director, game designer and TV reporter. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences and the Centre for Latin American Studies at the University of Warsaw, as well as the Dok Pro documentary programme at the Wajda School. Of Animals and Men is his debut film.

Selected Filmography

Of Animals and Men (2019)

DOCUSPACE ONLINE CINEMA
22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
Don't Worry, The Doors Will Open
DOCU/WORLD
Don't Worry, The Doors Will Open
Year
2019
Country
Canada
Director
Oksana Karpovych
Duration
78’
DOCU/WORLD
A Tunnel
DOCU/WORLD
A Tunnel
Year
2019
Country
Georgia, Germany
Directors
Nino Orjonikidze, Vano Arsenishvili
Duration
92’
DOCU/WORLD
Angels on Diamond Street
DOCU/WORLD
Angels on Diamond Street
Year
2019
Country
Netherlands, Norway
Director
Petr Lom
Duration
88’
DOCU/WORLD
Black Hole
DOCU/WORLD
Black Hole
Year
2019
Country
France
Directors
Emmanuel Grimaud, Arnaud Deshayes
Duration
69’
DOCU/WORLD
Eye to Eye
DOCU/WORLD
Eye to Eye
Year
2020
Country
Finland
Director
John Webster
Duration
73’
DOCU/WORLD
Hope Frozen
DOCU/WORLD
Hope Frozen
Year
2018
Country
Thailand
Director
Pailin Wedel
Duration
75’
DOCU/WORLD
The Cause
DOCU/WORLD
The Cause
Year
2019
Country
Venezuela
Director
Andrés Figueredo
Duration
83’
DOCU/WORLD
Newtopia
DOCU/WORLD
Newtopia
Year
2019
Country
Norway
Director
Audun Amundsen
Duration
88’
DOCU/WORLD
The Brink
DOCU/WORLD
The Brink
Year
2019
Country
USA
Director
Alison Klayman
Duration
91’
DOCU/WORLD
The Earth Is Blue as an Orange
DOCU/WORLD
The Earth Is Blue as an Orange
Year
2020
Country
Ukraine, Lithuania
Director
Iryna Tsilyk
Duration
74’
DOCU/WORLD