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24 - 26 March 2017: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema: Andrzej Wajda

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Part of the 15th Kinoteka Polish Film Festival we present four masterpieces by the late great Andrzej Wajda.

Innocent Sorcerers
Andrzej Wajda
1960 | 84 min | B/W | DCP

At once breezy and grave, acutely dry yet strangely lyrical, Andrzej Wajda’s Innocent Sorcerers seems to grow richer with each passing year. And yet, at the time of its making the project seemed like a startling departure for the director, whose previous features dealt strictly with Polish wartime experience. read more

The Promised Land
Andrzej Wajda
1974 | 163 min | Colour | DCP

Adapted from Nobel Laureate Władysław Reymont's classic 1897 novel, The Promised Land is the story of three friends one Polish, one German and one Jewish - united in their ruthless pursuit of fortune. With stunning camerawork and sumptuous design, Wajda depicts the explosive energy of a world being transformed by rampant industrialisation. Nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, Wajda's lavish epic is a wry, incisive, shocking and elegantly realized Dickensian tale of greed, human cruelty, exploitation and betrayal. This visceral examination of unbridled capitalism remains morally and politically incisive today. read more

Man of Marble
Andrzej Wajda
1976 | 154 min | Colour & B/W | DCP

Often described as the Polish Citizen Kane, Wajda’s epic Man of Marble operates as both an electrifying political saga and a compelling analysis of the nature of cinema itself. Mateusz Birkut, a bricklayer, glorified in a marble statue as a State-promoted "Worker’s Hero" is subsequently removed from all official mention in 1952. Flash forward to the early 70s where young documentary filmmaker Agnieszka obsessively pursues his story. Birkut’s rise and fall and disappearance into obscurity provides Wajda with a framework for a brave reassessment of the period. Although suppressed by the authorities, Man of Marble became a milestone in Polish cinema and an undoubted influence in the subsequent dismantling of the totalitarian system in Poland. read more

Man of Iron
Andrzej Wajda
1976 | 154 min | Colour & B/W | DCP

Following on from Man of Marble and the story of Mateusz Birkut’s heroism, is the story of his son, Maciej Birkut. A journalist is tasked with finding out what’s really going on with Maciej, the leader of the striking shipyard workers. Being young and radical himself, the journalist fits in easily with the organisation he is trying to infiltrate. In fact he fits in so well, believing himself in the idea of workers’ rights, that he’s forced to pick between his career and following his heart. read more


Screening as part of the 15th KINOTEKA Polish Film Festival: kinoteka.org.uk