Zuzanna 'Zula' Lichoń (played by Joanna Kulig) is a protagonist in Cold War.
Female lead. An ambitious, captivating young woman on probation for attacking her abusive father; she fakes a peasant identity to join the state folk ensemble, instantly enchanting director Wiktor. Their bond is obsessive and destructive, spanning decades and borders. She misses their escape to the West, later has an affair with producer Michel, and descends into heavy drinking while failing as a recording artist in Paris. She ultimately buys Wiktor's freedom by marrying manager Kaczmarek, then escapes with Wiktor to a ruined church where they marry and appear to commit suicide together. Wiktor Warski (played by Tomasz Kot) is a protagonist in Cold War.
Male lead. Composer and director who co-founds the state folk ensemble and falls obsessively in love with Zula. Opposed to Communist propaganda, he plans to defect with her but crosses the German border alone when she fails to appear. In Paris exile he works in a jazz club and later as a film-score composer, repeatedly reuniting with Zula. He returns to Poland against the consul's advice, is sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for defection and espionage, and bears a disfigured hand. Freed through Zula's arranged marriage, he weds her in an abandoned church; the couple seem to choose death together. Lech Kaczmarek (played by Borys Szyc) appears in Cold War.
The ensemble's pragmatic, opportunistic manager. Unlike Wiktor and Irena, he readily accepts inserting pro-Communist and pro-Stalinist propaganda into performances to win Eastern Bloc tours. He desires Zula and pressures her into spying on Wiktor for him. Years later he arranges Wiktor's early release from a labor camp in exchange for marrying the now-alcoholic Zula, yet he suspects their four-year-old son is not his own. Irena Bielecka (played by Agata Kulesza) appears in Cold War.
Choreographer of the state folk ensemble and part of its original creative team with Wiktor and Kaczmarek. She fiercely opposes the bureaucrats' demand to include pro-Communist, pro-Stalinist propaganda in the shows; when the careerist Kaczmarek agrees, a resentful Irena abandons the troupe rather than serve the regime's ideology. Michel (played by Cédric Kahn) appears in Cold War.
Paris-based film producer whom Wiktor courts on Zula's behalf, embellishing her backstory to make her intriguing. While her record is being made, Zula begins an affair with Michel, which she later blurts out in a drunken fight with Wiktor. After she vanishes, it is Michel who tells Wiktor that Zula has returned to Poland. Camp Guard (played by Adam Szyszkowski) appears in Cold War.
The prison-camp guard watching over Wiktor after his 15-year hard-labor sentence for defection and espionage. Zula bribes him for time alone with Wiktor, during which she promises to win his freedom — setting in motion his eventual release.
Cold War (2018) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Zuzanna 'Zula' Lichoń
(played by Joanna Kulig) — protagonist
Female lead. An ambitious, captivating young woman on probation for attacking her abusive father; she fakes a peasant identity to join the state folk ensemble, instantly enchanting director Wiktor. Th...
Wiktor Warski
(played by Tomasz Kot) — protagonist
Male lead. Composer and director who co-founds the state folk ensemble and falls obsessively in love with Zula. Opposed to Communist propaganda, he plans to defect with her but crosses the German bord...
Lech Kaczmarek
(played by Borys Szyc) — supporting
The ensemble's pragmatic, opportunistic manager. Unlike Wiktor and Irena, he readily accepts inserting pro-Communist and pro-Stalinist propaganda into performances to win Eastern Bloc tours. He desire...
Irena Bielecka
(played by Agata Kulesza) — supporting
Choreographer of the state folk ensemble and part of its original creative team with Wiktor and Kaczmarek. She fiercely opposes the bureaucrats' demand to include pro-Communist, pro-Stalinist propagan...
Michel
(played by Cédric Kahn) — supporting
Paris-based film producer whom Wiktor courts on Zula's behalf, embellishing her backstory to make her intriguing. While her record is being made, Zula begins an affair with Michel, which she later blu...
Camp Guard
(played by Adam Szyszkowski) — supporting
The prison-camp guard watching over Wiktor after his 15-year hard-labor sentence for defection and espionage. Zula bribes him for time alone with Wiktor, during which she promises to win his freedom —...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
