HBO Europe is adding to its local originals slate with new Polish series The Thaw, a six-part drama created and written by Marta Szymanek (The Pack) and directed by Xawery Żuławski (Bird Talk).

Szczecin, Poland. Late winter, early spring. The body of a young woman is discovered under the melting ice. Who was she? Why did she die? Who did she leave behind? Did people who are now mourning know who she really was? These questions and the search for answers will provide the main female character with a powerful, although initially unconscious incentive to confront her own circumstances: of a single mother playing the role of a perfect police officer, and above all, a woman in crisis.

“At HBO we are always most interested in telling emotional human stories. When we started working with Marta Szymanek on The Thaw, we knew that the biggest strength of her idea was its uncompromising candour and courage in addressing issues commonly perceived as difficult, or even shameful” says Bogumił Lipski, the show’s producer. “This time we invite the audience into the world of a thirtysomething year-old police officer. The compelling crime layer of the show reveals much more - a deeply human and painfully relevant story about things that are most challenging - grief, mourning, loneliness, and the sense of being left behind.”

“The Thaw is a crime drama and a love story about the relationship between a mother and her seven-year-old daughter. It’s a story that proves that we can search for life even in the darkness. This is exactly what the main character does during her investigation. Because eventually, it lets her experience her private thaw,” says Marta Szymanek, creator and writer.

“On the surface, The Thaw is an investigative thriller. But the reason it is so compelling is because it is about a fascinating female character who is both ordinary and extraordinary, frozen in pain and grief and her worse nightmares. The intensity and courage of the writing make this pure HBO,” says Johnathan Young, HBO Europe’s VP Original Programming and Production, Central Europe.

The Thaw is the latest original production from HBO Europe. It is produced by Bogumił Lipski, and executive produced by Izabela Łopuch, Johnathan Young and Antony Root for HBO Europe. Andrzej Besztak is the executive producer for Magnolia Films.

Filming will take place in Szczecin with production beginning in late January 2020.