SLA226H1 - Post-War Polish Cinema

University of Toronto, Spring 2003
Course syllabus in PDF format

Instructor: Dr. Justyna Beinek
Class discussions: Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., Carr Hall 404, 100 St. Joseph St.
Film screenings: Tuesdays 6-8 p.m., Robarts Library, Media Room 3

Kieslowski, Polanski, Wajda – these Polish directors have achieved worldwide acclaim through their original ways of seeing the world through the camera lens. But there is much more to explore in post-war Polish cinema: many films from the 1950s-1970s strove to represent the experience of World War II and Stalinism, while others focused on the individual and his/her singular experience of life and love. The 1970s were the time of the “cinema of moral unrest,” yet the absurdity of everyday life led to the creation of many superb comedies, many of which have become cult movies, still celebrated today.

After the Velvet Revolution of 1989 Polish cinema turned toward new topics (homelessness, child abuse, drug culture) and styles (pop culture action flicks, blockbusters). Once dominated by a handful of established directors, Polish cinema today dazzles with young talents: Malgorzata Szumowska, Piotr Trzaskalski, Robert Glinski, Piotr Dumala, and Slawomir Fabicki.

Films:

Ashes and Diamonds, 1958, dir. Andrzej Wajda
Knife in the Water, 1962, dir. Roman Polanski
Passenger, 1963, dir. Andrzej Munk
The Cruise, 1970, dir. Marek Piwowski
Illumination, 1973, dir. Krzysztof Zanussi
Sanitarium under the Hourglass, 1973, dir. Wojciech Has
Lonely Woman, 1981/1988, dir. Agnieszka Holland
The Decalogue, 1988, dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski
Pigs, 1992, dir. Wladyslaw Pasikowski
White, 1994, dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski
Mister Thaddeus, 1999, dir. Andrzej Wajda
Eddie, 2002, dir. Piotr Trzaskalski