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This time Ioana will present Romanian film.- Most viewed viewed film in Romanian cinemas (15 million times)
- Views of iconic pieces of romanian architecture during communism: Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest and Olimp Resort from Black Sea Riviera
- The greatest actors of the Romanian "Golden Age"
I do screen Polish movies with English subtitles for almost two years alredy. Sometimes participants do ask could I create a list of the most important Polish films to watch. I havn't done it yet, but I have to say that if any person is interested in Polish cinematography and even only in Polish culture and history definitelly should watch "Kanal" by Andrzej Wajda.
This movie is very controvercial. For many people this film showing Warsaw uprising as crazy and irresponsible action is a proof that Wajda was a pupet of communist regime. Well I used to think like that as well and director Wajda himself didn't help me to change my opinion neither.
Once when I was on the meeting with A. Wajda when he was asked why he wasn't much involved in anticommunist movement so much he responded: "You know mister, some people were protesting by going on strike when the other were protesting by making films"
You can understand this statement as quite
opportunistic, but I think that Wajda felt actually gulty, cause he didn't fight in uprising, cause didn't strugle with communism, cause as artist he always compromised with communist regime. That's the reason why his last film "Powidoki" is the most anticommunistic film in his life. Which we may watch later if there will be enough people interested.
Nevertheless after a while I also understood that "Kanal" show exact point of view on WWII by Wajda's generation as he said:
"There were two point of view on Warsaw uprising. First that decision to start uprising was irresponsible and mad. The cost of ruins and dead people was huge. The flower of Polish youth and well trained soldiers od Polish underground dissapeared. Those were people who were missing the most when communism was forced to be implemented in Poland after WWII by the red army. That was what we were thinking when we were watching Warsaw destroyed in 90 %, when a lot of us were crying cause of family and friends died in uprising. Nevertheless after a while the new point of view apperead, that this whole effort did impact on everythng what happened later especially in 1956, cause the uprising was an example for those people."
1956 is called in Poland melted down period. That was the end of Stalinism (cause he finally died), some Polish communist were realised from jails, who were send there for being patriotic. One of them Władysław Gomułka became the leader of the communist party, milion citizens of Warsaw gathered to greet him. He actually got real support at least for a while.
Later on in 1980ties during dark years of martial law and general Jaruzelski in charge Warsaw uprising veterans were teaching young oppositionists the very needed know how of conspiration.
In 2004 Warsaw uprising museum was opened. That was the first modern 3rd generation museum in Poland it started whole new trend in museum studies in 7th largest country in Europe. By attracting so many visitors including young Poles it proofed that museum could be an exciting place. It's educational role is huge starting from pernament exhibition through events, board games, and comics books about Warsaw uprising. About 6 mln people visited this museum since opening.
So for me the point of view on Warsaw uprising showed in Kanal by Wajda is just honest, nevertheless majority of Poles now rather see huge symbolic role and impact of the largest uprising in entire occupied Europe during WWII.
Uprising started on 1st of August 1944 at 5 pm. Every year now during that day at 5 pm 2 milion largest city in Poland stops for a minute. Have a look how it is then.
See you there!
Paweł
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For quick contact join our movie lovers whatsapp group, to get the link please pm me.
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Organizational info:
We are going to meet in one of 2 places please check ideally during the day of the meeting if the location of the event didn't change. The fastest way to communicate is our whatsapp.
FOR 10 years we only cancel 2 meetings. So if you went somewhere and there is no meeting, there is 99 % chance you are in wrong place. 😉
1. Cafe literacka - located in the bookstore, ask bar attender where the movie room is located. They have great cakes, made on the spor but one of the most creative pastry maker in Kraków - Łukasz. My personal favourite is pistachio & raspberry tarte. Many of their cakes are also vegan you can find the also hummus, salads, ok beer and sinfully cheap table wine.
2. Poli - amazing variation of the cheapest craft beer in Kraków, but also many amazing cocktails. They are famous for they negroni! 😉 You can also get there burgers, fries, and sandwitches.
Event is FREE of charge, BUT... those places gave us space for free hoping that we will order something at the bar. So it is polite to order, but nobody force you to do so. Nevertheless PLEASE don't eat your own food and don't drink your own drinks there. That is a matter of RESPECT the place. And we may be kicked out from next screening there after such actions.
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Hi there, my name is Paweł,
I'm a local city, cultural and food tour guide in Kraków since 2007. Initially my knowledge about Polish films was average. But then when I realized how usefull movies are as educational tool to talk about Poland I decided to change it.
I started to focus on the most important movies about Polish history. Then one day in November 2014 I decided to share it not only during his work as a proffesional tour guide, but also to Couchsurfing community and all culturally hungry people.
Since that day in 2014 I joined academy of Polish films academy, attended as many lectures as possible. Constantly read about Polish cinema and developed my true passion. At one point Idid even screen several Polish low-budget productions inviting people who were involved in production. But it was difficult to find movies like that regularly. If you would like to screen yours movie or movie of your friend, let me know!
When after almost 90 years Poland finally got first Oscar, (We have only one small category - international film) I organized screening of "Ida" in cinema twice. In my opinion English subtitles well very much cenzored which ... is the key reason why this movie get oscar. Nevertheless my first impression about the event was terrible. 60 people in the hall, for many of them it was the first Polish film they will ever see, at least half of them eating chips making huge noice with their plastic packages, one person even open yoghurt, take the spoon and start to eat regular supper... I though that that will be huge failer, those people probably expect an easy entertainment, American style shallow action or comedy film, but... At the end of the screening there was about 2 minutes of total silence... and then huge applause after.
I think that something very important happened that night and those stronge emotions related to it made this project very valuable!
For those almost 10 years we created a group of friends, a family of movie buffs. We do not often share the same movie interests... but we are curious and hungry for more! Furthermore we love to discuss and argue about the movies. So that is the origin of a joke about us: If three of us will end up on an unhibited island, how many movies we would take with us?
4!
One of them I want to screen, 2nd you want to screen, 3rd he wants to screen, and the 4th, that... NONE of us wants to screen! 😉
Those two more people without who this project will never go so far are:
->Andrey, who is watching probably 10 new movies WEEKLY! Who did even some postgraduate movie studies to prepare for our club. Thanks to him we did screen one legendary Polish film which was banned by the communist, therefore never was screen in Polish cinemas. Only some private screening, probably never been screen with English subtitles at all! But he did that! He did subtitles and even went to Warsaw Polish Movie institut to read the original script to know what did the commies cut of from the film. His technical skills and dedication to cinema is the rock on which we build our community!
->Sir William, thanks to him British movies are the 2nd most common that we present! (after Polish), William is famous for joking about me, for his always elegant outfit, sophisticated English language, and last but not least his love to comedies and unique fancy glasses! Btw.: Please remember that William in his adventeruous life had some cinema episode as well. Yes we did screen this film already, I even bought him DVD with it. Ask him, so maybe we will rescreen it one day. 😉
Each movie is followed by mine or my friend introduction. Sometimes we also screen very rare and almost impossible to find online interviews with director or other ppl involved. Off course all materials are with English subtitles. Sometimes screening of the movie is connected with food event, the tour in the museum or around the city if the topic is related, xmas party, bday party, dance party, costume party etc.
Enjoy! PAW (Paweł, Andrey & sir William)
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Kawiarnia Literacka, ulica Krakowska 41, 31-066 Kraków, Polska,Kraków, Poland, Krakow
