Kanal

Film description:

Andrzej Wajda’s courage in portraying one of the most tragic events of World War II wrote the film down not only in the history of Polish, but also world cinema. The director refrained from a precise reenactment of the Warsaw Uprising events, and instead of chronical-like documentation decided on a bold style, depicting the war horror in a symbolic way. This gave the film a universal feeling and made it relatable for foreign audiences, unfamiliar with the history of the battle over the Polish capital. The Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival seems to confirm this, although there was no realization that the sequence of the underground escape from the besieged city were based on actual events. Filmed nearly half a century ago, the scenes of descending into the canals still make a huge impression: the camera follows the heroes and with suggestive imagery created by Jerzy Lipman, it enables empathising with the insurgents. Studying their lives, Wajda shifted attention from an abstract conflict between nations to the tragedy of real people, thus beginning the Polish Film School.

About the director:

Andrzej Wajda (1926-2016) was one of the most famous and recognizable European directors in the world, honoured with numerous awards, including an Oscar for his lifetime achievment in 2000. His works were amitious, often refereing to political issues and tackling turbulent Polish history. Wajda also adapted Polish literary classics, always interperting them in a winder, cultural context. Although his films concered specific events or characters, they channeled universal themes relatable to people all over the world.

Most important films:

• 1974 “The Promised Land”
• 1976 “Man of Marble”
• 1979 “The Maids of Wilko”
• 1999 “Pan Tadeusz”
• 2007 “Katyń”
• 2013 “Walesa. Man of Hope”

By Agnieszka Mysiak based on www.culture.pl