Polish Film School ( pl, Polska Szkoła Filmowa) refers to an informal group of Polish film directors and screenplay writers active between 1956 and approximately 1963. Among the most prominent representatives of the school are

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

, Andrzej Munk and

Jerzy Kawalerowicz Jerzy Franciszek Kawalerowicz (19 January 1922 – 27 December 2007) was a Polish film director and politician, having been a member of Polish United Workers' Party from 1954 until its dissolution in 1990 and a deputy in Polish parliament since ...

Overview

The group was under the heavy influence of Italian neorealists. It took advantage of the liberal changes in Poland after 1956

Polish October Polish October (), also known as October 1956, Polish thaw, or Gomułka's thaw, marked a change in the politics of Poland in the second half of 1956. Some social scientists term it the Polish October Revolution, which was less dramatic than the ...

to portray the complexity of Polish history during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and German occupation. Among the most important topics were the generation of former

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) est ...

soldiers and their role in post-war Poland and the national tragedies like the German concentration camps and the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...

. The political changes allowed the group to speak more openly of the recent history of Poland. However, the rule of

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

was still strong when it comes to history after 1945 and there were very few films on contemporary events. This marked the major difference between the members of the Polish Film School and Italian neorealists. The Polish Film School was the first to underline the national character of

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...

and one of the first artistic movements in

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

to openly oppose the official guidelines of

Socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is c ...

. The members of the movement tend to underline the role of individual as opposed to collectivity. There were two trends within the movement: young directors such as

generally studied the idea of heroism, while another group (the most notable being Andrzej Munk) analyzed the Polish character via irony, humor, and dissection of national myths.

Notable people and films

** '' Kanał'' (1956) ** ''

Ashes and Diamonds ''Ashes and Diamonds'' ( Polish original: ''Popiół i diament'', literally: ''Ash and Diamond'') is a 1948 novel by the Polish writer Jerzy Andrzejewski. The story takes place during the last few days of World War II in Europe, and describes th ...

'' (''Popiół i diament'', 1958) * Andrzej Munk ** '' Man on the Tracks'' (''Człowiek na torze'', 1956) ** ''

Heroism A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

'' (''Eroica'', 1958) ** '' Bad Luck'' (''Zezowate szczęście'', 1959) ** Passenger (''Pasażerka'', 1963, finished by Witold Lesiewicz) *

** '' The Real End of the Great War'' (''Prawdziwy koniec wielkiej wojny'', 1957) ** '' Night Train'' (''Pociąg'', 1959) ** '' Mother Joan of the Angels'' (''Matka Joanna od Aniołów'', 1961) *

Wojciech Has Wojciech Jerzy Has (1 April 1925, Kraków – 3 October 2000, Łódź) was a Polish film director, screenwriter and film producer. Early life and studies Wojciech Jerzy Has was born in Kraków. Has himself was agnostic. However, his family ...

** '' Farewells'' (''Pożegnania'', 1958) ** '' How to Be Loved'' (''Jak być kochaną'', 1963) *

Kazimierz Kutz Kazimierz Julian Kutz (16 February 1929 – 18 December 2018) was a Polish film director, author, journalist and politician, one of the representatives of the Polish Film School and a deputy speaker of the Senate of Poland. Biography Kazimierz ...

** '' Cross of Valor'' (''Krzyż walecznych'', 1958) ** '' Nobody's Calling'' (''Nikt nie woła'', 1960) ** '' The People from the Train'' (''Ludzie z pociągu'', 1961) *

Tadeusz Konwicki Tadeusz Konwicki (22 June 1926 – 7 January 2015) was a Polish writer and film director, as well as a member of the Polish Language Council. Life Konwicki was born in 1926 as the only son of Jadwiga Kieżun and Michał Konwicki in Nowa Wilejka, ...

** '' Winter Twilight'' (''Zimowy zmierzch'', 1957) ** '' The Last Day of Summer'' (''Ostatni dzień lata'', 1958) ** ''

All Souls' Day All Souls' Day, also called ''The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed'', is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by certain Christian denominations on 2 November. Through prayer, intercessions, alms and ...

'' (''Zaduszki'', 1961) * Stanisław Różewicz ** '' Free City'' (''Wolne Miasto'', 1958) ** ''

Birth Certificate A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensui ...

'' (''Świadectwo urodzenia'', 1961)

References

{{Film genres Film organisations in Poland Movements in cinema

Overview

Notable people and films

See also

References