The Queen and the Smokehouse
The queen of the Polish town of Łeba does not wear a crown or sit on a throne. Instead, her kingdom is a smokehouse from which she feeds mackerel and cod to thousands.
Description
In the Polish seaside town of Łeba, a kingdom rests upon plates of smoked cod, mackerel, halibut, and salmon. The picturesque beaches are one tourist draw; the town’s smokehouse is another, overseen by Leba’s undisputed queen, Meicia. This delightful documentary follows her as she spends her summer days managing her business, serving her customers, and bringing together a group of employees who adore her immensely and fear her slightly. What Meicia has built over the decades is not just a beloved institution but a quiet matriarchy of sorts, a tight ship run by a woman who has spent her life bringing people the joy of a perfectly smoked meal. But now, Melicia is at a crossroads as her health is failing, and she begins to look back at her life and reckon with her legacy. —Bedatri Choudhury
Biographies
The Queen and the Smokehouse, a nominee for a Discovery of the Year Polish Film Award, is director Iga Lis’s first documentary feature. She also made a short film, In My Day (Doc Stories 2025). She is a London School of Economics History graduate.
