Screening of Wojciech Jerzy Has’s The Saragossa Manuscript With Live Music | 50th PFF
The year 2025 has been declared by the Polish Senate as the Year of Wojciech Jerzy Has, one of the greatest directors in the history of Polish cinema. A hundred years have passed since his birth, and this jubilee is a perfect occasion to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the artist, whose films have made a lasting mark on world cinema. The National Centre for Culture, in collaboration with various state cultural institutions and partners, has prepared several exhibitions and a special event that combines film and music.
23rd September 2025, 6:00 p.m. – Witold Gombrowicz City Theatre in Gdynia
Organised by the National Centre for Culture and the Kraków Festival Office, it’s the second screening of The Saragossa Manuscript with live music, following its premiere at the Kraków Film Music Festival, as part of the national cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. This labyrinthine film, full of dreamlike imagery, literary games, and multilayered narratives, best showcases Has’s style. The film gained a whole new dimension thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki’s soundtrack – one of the few occasions when the outstanding composer created a complete score for a narrative feature.
Combining an avant-garde and experimental approach with baroque and classicistic inspirations, Penderecki composed a score of unique and eclectic character. Its extraordinary colour palette perfectly complements Has’s vision, building tension between dreams and reality, grotesque and metaphysics.
During the special screening, the music will be performed by Paweł Romańczuk and the band Małe Instrumenty, with a symphony orchestra conducted by Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak. The meeting of a traditional orchestra with the experimental sound of unconventional instruments brings out the rich soundscape of The Saragossa Manuscript, emphasising its unique character.
The film screening combined with a concert is a meeting of two masters of Polish culture – Has and Penderecki. It’s an opportunity to rediscover one of the most important artworks of Polish cinema and experience it in a special way – during a one-of-a-kind screening accompanied by a faithful performance of the composer’s score.
The concert is co-organised by the National Centre for Culture and organised with the in partnership with the Documentary and Feature Film Studios.
