Essential Cinema: Masterpieces in Polish Cinema

Date: Thursdays at 7:30 PM in September Location: AFS at the Marchesa (6226 Middle Fiskville Road) “There are many revelations in the ‘Masterpieces of Polish Cinema’ series, and whether you’re familiar with some of these films or not, it’s an incredible opportunity to discover for yourself the great power of Polish cinema, on the big screen in brilliantly restored digital masters.” — Martin Scorsese Sept 4, ASHES AND DIAMONDS (Popiól i diament) Directed by Andrzej Wajda Written by Andrzej Wajda and Jerzy Andrzejewski from his Andrzejewski’s novel Cinematography by Jerzy Wójcik Production Design by Roman Mann Editing by Halina Nawrocka Music by Filip Nowak Cast: Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyzewska, Waclaw Zastrzezynski, and Adam Pawlikowski Poland, 1958, DCP distributed by Milestone Films, B/W, , 103 min. Polish with English subtitles As World War II is ending with the Nazi occupiers in retreat, there is a momentary hope for true freedom for the Polish people, but the savior occupiers – the Soviet military – have plans for a new enslavement. Sept 11, BLIND CHANCE (Przypadek) Written and Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski Cinematography by Krzysztof Pakulski Production Design by Andrzej Rafal Waltenberger Editing by Elzbieta Kurkowska Music by Wojciech Kilar Cast: Boguslaw Linda, Tadeusz Lomnicki, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Boguslawa Pawelec Poland, 1987, DCP distributed by Milestone Films, color, , 114 min. Polish with English subtitles One moment, one train — three completely different outcomes. From Director Krzysztof Kieślowski comes a film examining the effect of even the smallest of choices. Twenty-year-old Witek Dlugosz rushes to make a train to Warsaw, his hometown, after the death of his father. Crashing into a man drinking beer, Witek is barely able to pull himself aboard by the final car’s handrail. On the train, he encounters an old communist, who convinces him to join the Communist Party. All seems fine until his beautiful lover Czuszka is arrested by the same party with which his allegiance lies. Their love falters, she rejects him, and Witek is left alone. Back in the station, Witek crashes hard into the man drinking beer, delaying him enough to miss his train. On the railway, he smacks into a guard and is arrested. Angry, he joins the anti-Communist resistance, thus launching another sequence of events that leaves him alone and distrusted. Finally, in the station again, Witek misses the train because he gets slowed down by the man with the beer, but stops to catch his breath, avoiding the guard from the second scenario. He sees Olga at the platform, the two return to her apartment, make a child, and get married. Witek finds the motivation to finish medical school, and with newfound responsibilities, he refuses to associate with any political party, avoiding the Communists completely and forging a happy life for himself. BLIND CHANCE was heavily censored by the communist regime, due to its anti-Communist messages. The now restored version of the film comprises scenes never before been shown to the public. (Milestone Films description) Sept 18, AUSTERIA Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz Written by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Tadeusz Konwicki, and Julian Stryjkowski from the novel by Julian Stryjkowski Cinematography by Zygmunt Samosiuk Production Design by Jerzy Skrzepinski Editing by Wieslawa Otocka Music by Leopold Kozlowski Cast: Franciszek Pieczka, Wojciech Pszoniak, Jan Szurmiej, and Ewa Domanska Poland, 1982, DCP distributed by Milestone Films, color, , 109 min. Polish/Hebrew/German with English subtitles On the eve of World War I, people from three ethnic groups (Polish, Ukrainian, and Jewish) struggle to survive in a country inn in Polish Galicia. Sept 25, SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT Directed by Wojciech Has Written by Tadeusz Kwiatkowski from the novel by Jan Potocki Cinematography by Mieczyslaw Jahoda Production Design by Tadeusz Myszorek and Jerzy Skarzynski Editing by Krystyna Komosinska Music by Krzysztof Penderecki Cast: Zbigniew Cybulski, Iga Cembrzynska, Elzbieta Czyzewska, Gustaw Holoubek Poland, 1965, DCP distributed by Milestone Films, B&W, , 175 min. Polish with English subtitles One of the masterpieces of fantasy fiction, THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT was turned into an amazing epic film about a young man’s adventures in a land of demons and the supernatural. Reality or delusions?