In front of Forum cinema, an exhibition entitled “100 Years of Polish Film 1908–2008” has been arranged. Frames from well-known films can be viewed on several dozen pillars. The works presented include Andrzej Wajda’s “Kanal” and “Katyń,” Roman Polański’s “Knife in the Water,” Andrzej Munk’s “Bad Luck,” Juliusz Machulski’s “Sexmission,” Jerzy Hoffman’s “The Deluge,” Aleksander Ford’s “Knights of the Teutonic Order,” as well as Marek Piwowski’s “The Cruise,” Marek Koterski’s “Day of the Wacko” and Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “A Short Film About Killing.”
“We had a major problem selecting just one hundred films for this exhibition,” said Natalia Chojna, the exhibition’s curator, who had come especially for the occasion. “We chose from two thousand productions. We decided to show those most frequently awarded by critics and festival jurors, as well as highly valued by the public.”
The highlight of the vernissage was the screening of the two oldest Polish films. “Prussian Culture,” from 1908, and “A Strong Man,” directed by Henryk Szaro, from 1929.
“Prussian Culture” is a film about events that were current at the time, depicting the Prussian government’s repression of Poles. The very short film told the tragic story of a Polish family persecuted because their son—a pupil at a Prussian school—had written “Beloved Poland” on the blackboard.
“A Strong Man” is a psychological film featuring an excellent performance by Grzegorz Chmara, a Russian star of that era. It told the story of a modest journalist who, in order to achieve fame, stole the novel of his dying friend, a morphine addict. However, the money and honors gained through this deception do not bring him happiness. The man loses the love of his life, which ultimately drives him mad. The film is an adaptation of a novel by Stanisław Przybyszewski.
Walking among the photographs in front of the cinema, one can recall great Polish stars at the height of their popularity. There is Daniel Olbryski as Kmicic, Jerzy Zelnik as the pharaoh, Zbyszek Cybulski in “Ashes and Diamonds,” Jerzy Stuhr both in “The Bandleader” and in “Sexmission,” and Marek Kondrat in “The Enchanted Districts” and in “Day of the Wacko.”
Memories and emotions that Polish cinema conjured up for us are returning. It always spoke about matters important to Poles, was engaged, taught sensitivity to our reality, and experienced all national transformations together with us. This exhibition is a real treat for film lovers, and thanks to the activities of BOK-MCC, there are more and more of them in Bolesławiec. The organizers deserve congratulations for the idea of bringing such an important exhibition to Bolesławiec and for the scale of its execution. The exhibition in front of the Forum cinema will be on display throughout November.
(information: Grażyna Hanaf)
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