Polish

  • Roman Polanski – Ssaki aka Mammals (1962)

    1961-1970ComedyRoman PolanskiShort FilmUSA

    “Waiting for Godot” on ice and snow, without words. Against a barren winter landscape, a figure approaches: it’s a man, pulling a small sleigh on which another man sits, plucking a dead bird. They stop to trade places; the one now on the sleigh takes out his knitting. Accidents, misunderstandings, disagreements, and an outright fight await our absurd protagonists as their trip to nowhere continues, first with one pulling, then the other. What if they were to lose the sleigh? What rules of civilization and partnership would guide them then?Read More »

  • Roman Polanski – Rozbijemy zabawe… AKA Break Up The Dance… (1957)

    Roman Polanski1951-1960ArthousePolandShort Film

    Quote:
    Youths get ready for a party, decorating the dance floor, cleaning out the fountain of a pond. That evening, the party starts and guests arrive: everyone has a ticket, and a guy at the gate, wearing a formal shirt, tails, and shorts, makes sure only those with tickets gain entrance. Some are in costume, some dressed informally, some in fancy clothes: everyone is there to have a good time. A group of tough-looking guys watch through the high fence while the band plays jazzy rock and couples dance or kiss. With the party in full swing, as the band plays “When the Saints Go Marching In,” over the wall comes the gang. Is there any chance they’ll join in the festivities?Read More »

  • Roman Polanski – Morderstwo aka Murder (1957)

    Short Film1951-1960CrimePolandRoman Polanski

    The camera shows us a door handle and the door’s striker plate; from this angle, they form a cross. The door opens and in steps someone in a dark trench coat. He approaches a bed in the room, where a shirtless man sleeps. The intruder takes out a knife. His movements are without haste, but deliberate and efficient. Will his sleeping victim awake in time to offer resistance?Read More »

  • Jerzy Hoffman – Ogniem i mieczem AKA With Fire and Sword (1999)

    1991-2000EpicJerzy HoffmanPolandWar

    SYNOPSIS:
    by Unkabunk of Cinematic
    Spectacular battles, rollicking humor, and lavish production values frame a sweeping romantic drama that all audiences will enjoy. At the time of its release, this lavish historical epic was the most expensive Polish film ever made. Based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz this grand drama is set in 17th century Poland during the Cossack uprising against the Polish nobility. As the violent confrontation builds, a battle for the heart of a beautiful girl rages between a dashing Pole and a brutish Ukrainian. This is a special full-length version, including footage not in the original theatrical release.

    This is the first film from a trilogy of books on which the movies are based. The second is ‘Potop [Deluge] (1974)’ and the final one being ‘Pan Wolodyjowski [Colonel Wolodyjowski] (1969)’.Read More »

  • Andrzej Wajda – Pilat i inni AKA Pilate and Others (1972)

    Andrzej Wajda1971-1980DramaGermanyTV

    Quote:

    I wasn’t satisfied with the first two versions of the script which I had commissioned in Warsaw.

    Luckily for me, at that time Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita was first published in Poland. I was thrilled by it. I realized that I would not find a better text for the film than the story of Pilate. Everything was there: Christ, Pilate’s dark intrigue, Judas’ betrayal and the desperate loneliness of the single disciple and Evangelist.Read More »

  • Janusz Majewski – Sublokator AKA The Lodger (1966)

    1961-1970ComedyJanusz MajewskiPoland

    Synopsis:
    A young scientist looking for a peaceful place to live rents a room in a house inhabited only by women. Soon he discovers their unusual passions and obsessions.

    Awards:
    Chicago International Film Festival (1967) – Best Feature Nominee, Best Actress Winner
    Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival (1966) – FIPRESCI Prize WinnerRead More »

  • Zbigniew Rybczynski – Lokomotywa AKA Locomotive (1976)

    1971-1980AnimationPolandShort FilmZbigniew Rybczynski

    Quote
    It is a surreal combination of images, music and symbols – a film collage so characteristic of Rybczyński’s work. The film is full of joy, a dance of objects and characters that scroll across the screen to the rhythm of stanzas of Julian Tuwim’s poem. The author of the music for the film was Mieczysław Janik – an outstanding sound operator connected with the studio in Łódź and, first of all, the initiator of creating a professional sound studio at Se-Ma-For.Read More »

  • Juliusz Machulski – Kingsajz AKA King Size (1988)

    Juliusz Machulski1981-1990ComedyPoland

    Quote:
    This comedy follows a young scientist in the contemporary world, who actually came from the world of dwarves, thanks to a magic potion, held by the Big Eater, ruler of the dwarves. The dwarf kingdom, Shuflandia, exists in a cellar of a library, and only the most obedient get the chance to grow to king size and inhabit the larger world. Once there, nobody wants to return to Shuflandia. Also, there are no women in Shuflandia.Read More »

  • Jerzy Skolimowski – Rysopis AKA Identification Marks: None (1965)

    Jerzy Skolimowski1961-1970Amos Vogel: Film as a Subversive ArtArthouseDramaPoland

    Quote:
    Jerzy Skolimowski’s debut is a combination of short student films made over the 4 years he spent at the Film School in Łódź. Identification Marks: None is the first instalment in the story about Andrzej Leszczyc, played by the director himself.Read More »

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