The Polish Embassy in Korea, the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Nowy Theatre brought “(A)pollonia,” a powerful work inspired by a documentary about the Holocaust, to Seoul for three performances during the 12th Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) at Arko Arts Theater in the theater district of Daehangno.

This year’s festival brought 27 works from 12 countries around the world in the areas of dance, theater and musical and multi-genre performances. SPAF is considered the foremost performing arts festival in Asia.

“Festivals such as SPAF are important links which help bridge Polish and Korean culture,” said Polish Ambassador to Korea Krzysztof Majka in a written statement.

Inspired by Hana Krall’s documentary about a Polish woman who hid Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland, Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski’s (A)pollonia is a mishmash of countervailing characters, props, visuals and ideas.

Apolonia Machczynska, a mother of three, hid 20 Jews in Poland during the Holocaust. She was discovered and arrested. Before her execution, her father is confronted with a choice ― if he pleads guilty her life will be saved. Apolonia dies nonetheless.

The audience is pulled along for about four hours through a confessional rant by a man in a trench coat, a mythological Greek character switching off a mobile phone before talking directly to the audience; a band rendering a polka number between scenes; all the while, someone onstage video-records the action, which is then projected behind the actors.

By bringing the ancient dramas by Euripides and Aeschylus together with Hanna Krall’s documentary, the director confronts the audience with hard truths about the nature of sacrifice and morality.

The Seoul Performing Arts Festival 2012 closes Oct. 27.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)