FILMS FROM THE WAJDA SCHOOL IN AMERICA

'Andrzej Wajda: Róbmy Zdjęcie! [Andrzej Wajda: Let's Shoot!]' by the Paladino Film group and  'Kobieta poszukiwana [A Woman Sought]' by Michał Marczak produced within the framework of the 'First Documentary' programme, will be presented at the 21. Polish Film Festival in America.

‘Andrzej Wajda: Róbmy zdjęcie! [Andrzej Wajda: Let’s Shoot!]’ was produced by the Andrzej Wajda Film School in co-production with Telekomunikacja Polska. It is a portrait of the Polish most famous director shooting the most personal of his films – 'Katyń'. The young filmmakers accompanied him in moments of concentration, fatigue and joy, during talks with his actors and crew. By observing his work on the set, the viewer has a chance to see what Andrzej Wajda really is like – extraordinary for his sensitivity, passion and the feeling of mission. The authors of the film, members of the Paladino Film Group, are the graduates of the Andrzej Wajda School: Maciej Cuske, Thierry Paladino, Marcin Sauter and Piotr Stasik. They are among the best directors of the young generation of documentary filmmakers. Their films are humourous and at the same time kind observations which represent a new way of perceiving reality and which stand out thanks to their creative approach.
The world premiere of the film took place at this year's film festival in Locarno.

'Kobieta poszukiwana [A Woman Sought]' by Michał Marczak was produced within the framework of the ‘First Documentary’ - a joint initiative of the Andrzej Wajda Film School, the Andrzej Munk Studio ‘Young and Film’ - a part of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the Polish Film Institute and TVP Kultura. The film is a portrait of people looking for love: a French aristocrat hires a professional matchmaker to help him find a wife in Poland. Meetings with possible candidates show women’s fears, expectations and secret desires. Michał Marczak graduated from the Documentary Course at the Andrzej Wajda Film School.

The Chicago festival will also feature 'Królik po berlińsku [Rabbit a la Berlin]' by Bartek Konopka - a graduate of the Wajda School. The film tells a story of thousands of rabbits which lived in the Death Zone of the Berlin Wall. The film is an allegory which brings closer the history of Eastern Europe as seen from a 'rabbit' perspective. For director Bartek Konopka and cinematographer Piotr Rosołowski it is a second attempt, after 'Ballada o kozie [The Goat Walker]', to talk about people from the angle of animals. 'Królik po berlińsku' is an international project financed by MDR, RBB and ARTE televisions and by Polish Television Channel One [TVP1]. It was also co-financed by: Finnish television YLE, Belgian Lichtpunt and Dutch VPRO. The film was produced with the support of the MEDIA programme, the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing and the Polish Film Institute. The producers are: MS Films (Poland) and majade Filmproduktion (Germany).

The Polish Film Festival in America – one of the largest film events in Chicago – is considered to be the largest review of the Polish cinema in the world and the 'The New York Times' considered it one of the five most important European film festivals in North America. This is not the first time that the films from the Wajda School have qualified for this review; among the films presented in Chicago in the past, there were 'Podróż [The Journey]' by Dariusz Glazer and 'Trójka do wzięcia [Three for the Taking]' by Bartek Konopka, both produced within the framework of the '30 Minutes' programme. The detailed programme can be found at: www.pffamerica.com

SCREENINGS OF THE FILMS FROM THE ANDRZEJ WAJDA SCHOOL:

'Andrzej Wajda: Róbmy zdjęcie!' - 12.11., Thursday at 7 p.m.

'Kobieta poszukiwana' – 11.11., Wednesday at 7 p.m.

'Królik po berlińsku' – 18.11., Wednesday at 8.30 p.m.

All screenings will take place at the Gallery Theatre (The Society for Arts, 1112 North Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642, tel. 773.486.9612).

(October 2009)