Portraits at the 51st PFF – Polish Film Festival

Portraits is one of the largest and most distinctive sections of the 51^st PFF, in which we turn to the classics in search of values that still resonate with the present day. Our guides on this journey are outstanding figures from Polish cinema: Krzysztof Kieślowski, Tadeusz Konwicki, Barbara Sass and Andrzej Wajda. At the FPFF, these filmmakers will be presented not only as creators of canonical works, but also as ideologues, metaphysicians, philosophers and social activists. Narrators and commentators on reality.

As Joanna Łapińska, Artistic Director of the PFF, says: With an eye to the future, in Gdynia we consciously draw on our heritage and draw inspiration from the power of the classics, in which we find reflections of the present day. This year, we will be guided by four filmmakers: Krzysztof Kieślowski, Tadeusz Konwicki, Barbara Sass and Andrzej Wajda. Each of them spoke of timeless values, of remaining true to oneself and to one’s principles. They demonstrated this not only in their films, but also through their conduct. It would be hard to find better patrons for a discussion on the social responsibility of culture, to which I invite you this year during the Festival.

 

ANDRZEJ WAJDA

Andrzej Wajda – a social activist, a citizen, but also a director who was young at heart, curious about the world and constantly searching. His Portrait will emerge from the story of an artist who never stood still and who boldly pushed the boundaries of his own cinematic language. The programme for the 51^st PFF includes a screening of the film Everything for Sale, followed by a special discussion between Professor Tadeusz Lubelski and film critic Michał Oleszczyk, in which they will examine Wajda as an experimental, innovative artist who constantly challenges conventional storytelling methods. This discussion will be recorded as an episode of the ‘SpoilerMaster’ podcast, hosted by Oleszczyk.

The screening of Joanna Rożen-Wojciechowska’s documentary I Dreamed the Future will, in turn, offer a glimpse of Wajda as a social activist and citizen for whom culture was always a sphere of responsibility and real influence. It is worth noting that this will be the Polish premiere of the film, and the screening will be followed by a meeting with the director Joanna Rożen-Wojciechowska, Tadeusz Lubelski, Agnieszka Morstin and Agnieszka Holland.

The film programme will be complemented by events accompanying the 51^st PFF: a concert of music from Andrzej Wajda’s films, “Wajda – Music”. Adam Sztaba & Adam Sztaba Orchestra, produced by the National Centre for Culture. We will hear compositions by artists such as Wojciech Kilar, Andrzej Korzyński, Jan Krenz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Krzysztof Komeda and Andrzej Markowski, as well as themes from Kanal, Ashes and Diamonds, The Wedding, Danton, down to Man of Marble. Among the events, we will also have the reading of an unrealized screenplay by Andrzej Wajda: "We Are Alone in the World" produced by the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute, directed by Michał Zdunik. And two exhibitions devoted to Wajda: “Andrzej Wajda: Recollection”, featuring photographs by Renata Pajchel, offering an encounter with a director who always felt at home at the PFF – in his natural element, amongst people who spoke the same language. On the one hand, a master – a visionary who taught successive generations sensitivity. On the other – a colleague from the film set and the festival corridors. The photographs on display will show Wajda at work: his emotions, gestures, facial expressions and moments of concentration. In addition, the exhibition will feature recordings of memories of Wajda captured during the PFF in Gdynia in 2017. This unique material is part of an unfinished documentary by Liliana Komorowska Wajda and You, in which film directors, actors, cinematographers, and other industry professionals reminisce about the master as well as the influence he had on their own work. The second exhibition accompanying Portraits will be “Wajda Anew: Supplement”, a series of posters by Andrzej Pągowski for TVP’s Television Theatre productions directed by Wajda. 

This section of Portraits forms part of the celebrations marking the Year of Andrzej Wajda. Totalizator Sportowy is a partner of the events centred on Andrzej Wajda and the patron of the 51^st Polish Film Festival

 

KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI

We will commemorate Krzysztof Kieślowski 30 years after his death. We will reflect on the significance of his metaphysical and philosophical cinema in Poland and its reception abroad.  We will watch the film No End and listen to a talk by film critic Michał Piepiórka. The screening will also pay tribute to Krzysztof Piesiewicz, who passed away this year, and to one of the most important screenwriter-director duos in Polish cinema. The choice of No End is no coincidence – it was their first film together, marking the beginning of their creative journey.

We will be discussing the international reception of Kieślowski’s cinema in collaboration with FIPRESCI. We will screen A Short Film About Love, accompanied by a talk by Joanna Najbor. To provide context, we will also screen Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales, a contemporary response to A Short Film About Love. Actor and producer Maciej Musiał played a major role in the film’s creation; he acquired the rights to Kieślowski’s work and initiated the process of its contemporary reinterpretation in collaboration with the Iranian director.

We will also be screening a cinematic tribute to Kieślowski by Stephen and Timothy Quay – Postscriptum. Ruminations on My Craft. This is a documentary-style piece combining memories, archive footage, film clips and original animation. Thanks to our collaboration with FIPRESCI, a contemporary interpretation of Kieślowski’s cinema and its influence on film, film criticism and contemporary culture will also be reflected in new essays by film critics from outside Poland. At the PFF, we will present these in the festival newspaper, and Letícia Alassë – the author of one of them – will be our guest and a speaker.

This look at Kieślowski’s work will be complemented by a screening of his documentary films.
We will be showing: From the City of Łódź, Refrain, From the Night Porter’s Point of View, Seven Women of Different Ages and Talking Heads. Film scholar Piotr Pławuszewski will guide us through this part of the director’s oeuvre.

BARBARA SASS

At the 51^st PFF, we will pay tribute to a champion of cinema with a strong sense of values, who tackles the theme of difficult moral choices and whose distinctive, uncompromising and raw style has secured a permanent place in the canon of Polish cinema. She is a cinematic advocate for women, but also a universal voice for every human being. The section, organised to mark the 90^th anniversary of Barbara Sass’s birth, will feature screenings of two films –  Scream, which concludes Barbara Sass’s early trilogy, and Nothing But Fear, from a later period of her career. The screening of Scream will be followed by a discussion with Dorota Stalińska, who plays the lead role of Marianna – a young woman who, upon her release from prison, tries to regain control of her life whilst grappling with loneliness, social exclusion and violence. The discussion will be moderated by film critic Klara Cykorz, who, prior to the screening of Nothing But Fear, will also give a talk on the significance of Sass’s cinema and its reception – both past and present. The film will also prompt reflection on the unequal struggle against addictions and inner demons that prevent us from building relationships with other people.

 

TADEUSZ KONWICKI

The latest instalment of Portraits has been produced to mark the 100^th anniversary of Tadeusz Konwicki’s birth. An outsider artist who served as the nation’s conscience. A meticulous and sensitive director, writer and orator. As he himself said: I want to be a passer-by whom people encounter in life. And to wave to them, to give them a sign that there are others in the world, that they are not alone. The programme features a screening of the outstanding Jump, one of the most important post-war films, dealing with fears, traumas, the search for identity, distorted memory and the afflictions of people living in post-war Poland. The film serves as a symbolic conclusion to the romantic myths of the Polish School. The screening will be preceded by a talk by film critic Maciej Kędziora. The portrait of Konwicki will be enriched by his own voice, thanks to two documentaries – intimate, unhurried conversations with the director – Passer-by (1984) and Całkiem spora apokalipsa (2002) by Andrzej Titkow, in which the artist talks about life, art and his attitude towards history, reality and politics. It is his story about himself and the world around him.

DEBATE

Reflections on Krzysztof Kieślowski, Tadeusz Konwicki, Barbara Sass and Andrzej Wajda will serve as the starting point for a debate on the social responsibility of culture: For Something, for Someone. Social Responsibility of the Polish Culture. Leszek Dawid, Paulina Kwiatkowska and Wojciech Marczewski will take part in the discussion, which will be moderated by Marta Stańczyk (Ekrany). The participants will consider whether we should expect art to be actively involved in the most important social debates. The discussion will connect representatives of different professions: filmmakers, researchers and curators. They will present their own view on the role of the cinema in shaping the community, developing civic and cultural competences as well as creating a space for dialogue. We will discuss the influence movies have on the viewers, and the challenges Polish cinema will have to face as a vital member of the social life. The panel, organised in collaboration with the Polish Directors Guild and the Ekrany magazine, will serve as an opportunity for an exchange of experiences and reflections between the creators, researchers, and the audience

Portraits at the 51st PFF

ANDRZEJ WAJDA

Totalizator Sportowy is a partner of the events centred on Andrzej Wajda and the patron of the 51^st Polish Film Festival

 Everything for Sale, dir. Andrzej Wajda. Screening followed by a special discussion between Tadeusz Lubelski and Michał Oleszczyk. Partner: Spoiler Master

I Dreamed the Future, dir. Joanna Rożen-Wojciechowska. Screening followed by a meeting with the director, Tadeusz Lubelski, Agnieszka Morstin and Agnieszka Holland.

Accompanying events: 

Exhibition “Andrzej Wajda: Recollection” | curator of the exhibition Kantor Sztuki gallery, Gdynia Film Centre | 21^st–30^th September | free admission

Exhibition “Wajda Anew: Supplement” Andrzej Pągowski | Gdynia City Museum, Zawiszy Czarnego 1A, Gdynia  | 21^st–30^th September | free entry

Concert “Wajda – Music”. Adam Sztaba & Adam Sztaba Orchestra | The National Centre for Culture
The Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre | Tuesday, 22^nd September 7:00 p.m. | Tickets available at Bilety24.pl | A discount price – PLN 65 applies to festival accreditation holders, after signing up through a form. A limited number of tickets

The reading of an unrealized screenplay by Andrzej Wajda: “We Are Alone in the World” | the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute | Gdynia City Museum | Tuesday, 22^nd September 7:00 p.m. | Registration via the form

 

KIEŚLOWSKI

No End dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski. A lecture by Michał Piepiórka

Short film programme:

• From the City of Łódź dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Refrain dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
• From the Night Porter’s Point of View dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Seven Women of Different Ages dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Talking Heads  dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski 

Introduction and meeting after screening by Piotr Pławuszewski

Parallel Tales dir. Asghar Farhadi. Introduction by Letícia Alassë

Postscriptum. Ruminations on My Craft, dir.  Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay

A Short Film About Love dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski. A talk by Joanna Najbor

 

BARBARA SASS

Scream dir. Barbara Sass. Followed by a meeting with Dorota Stalińska. Moderated by Klara Cykorz

Nothing But Fear dir. Barbara Sass. Introduction by Klara Cykorz 

 

TADEUSZ KONWICKI

 Jump dir. Tadeusz Konwicki. A talk by Maciej Kędziora

Passer-by dir. Andrzej Titkow

Całkiem spora apokalipsa dir. Andrzej Titkow

 

DEBATE

“For Something, for Someone. Social Responsibility of the Polish Culture”

Participants: Leszek Dawid, Paulina Kwiatkowska, Wojciech Marczewski. Moderated by Marta Stańczyk (EKRANy) | Danuta Baduszkowa Musical Theatre Chamber Stage | Thursday, 24^th September 3:00 p.m. | Admission with accreditation | Partners: the Polish Directors Guild, Ekrany magazine.