Wojciech Marczewski - The Masterpieces of Polish Cinema (3-DVD)

The Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Wojciech Marczewski

Studio: SPI International
Number of disks: 3
Condition: Brand New, Sealed, Mint
Total time: 289 minutes
Language version: Polish
Subtitles: English
Region: 2 (PAL). European or multi-system DVD player is required to see this DVD.

About the movies:
 

DVD 1

Zmory (Nightmares), 1978

Screenplay by Pavel Hajny based on a novel by Emil Zegadłowicz. In a town in the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia in the early 20th century, we meet Mikolaj Srebrny (Nicholas Silver), the young teen who is the film's protagonist. Marczewski gradually reveals the intimate dreams and secrets of this child that has not been spared even such dramatic experiences as his own parents' death. Through a series of loose episodes, we learn about the boy's problems at a public school run by despotic teachers, about his first sexual fascinations and first contacts with the political currents that surfaced at the time. In spite of being set so far back in history, the film tackles issues both contemporary and relevant. (Awards: 1979 - Główna Nagroda Jury / Main Jury Prize, Festiwal Polskich Filmow Fabularnych / Festival of Polish Feature Films, Gdańsk; Nagroda im. Andrzeja Munka / Andrzej Munk Prize granted by the State Higher School of Film,
Television and Theatre, Łódź; OCIC Award, San Sebastian; 1980 - "Film" monthly Award for best first feature of 1979).

DVD 2

Dreszcze (Shivers), 1981

A sequel to the earlier "Nightmares", this film is also considered more mature than its predecessor. Set during the 1950s, its protagonist is also a teenager, Tomek, who finds himself growing up during the difficult times when Poland remained within the grip of the Stalinist cult of the individual. Tomek finds it very difficult to deal with his father's arrest by the secret police. He is subsequently sent to a scouting camp, and Marczewski uses this setting to analyze how the characters of young people in the Communist scouting organization were broken and how they were stripped of their personality. The director included many of his own childhood memories in the story. (Awards: 1981 -Nagroda Glowna Jury / Main Jury Prize, Festival of Polish Feature Films, Gdansk; 1982 - "Silver Bear," FIPRESCI Prize, OCIC Award (International Catholic Cinema Organization) and CICAE Award (International Association of Film Clubs) at the Berlin International Film Festival; 1983 - "Don Kichot" / "Don Quixote" Prize of the PF DKF / Polish Federation of Film Discussion Clubs).

DVD 3

Ucieczka z kina "Wolnosc" (Escape from the "Liberty" Cinema), 1990

The farcical story of a man enslaved by the mechanisms of authoritarian power. The central character, a censor (beautifully portrayed by Janusz Gajos), finds himself in an absurd situation, facing the rebellion of a character in a film screened at the "Liberty" Cinema. This fantastic situation serves as a tool for exploring the concept of freedom in this film made immediately following the social and political transition of 1989. "Escape" is filled with references to other cinematic and literary works (Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo", Michail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita"). (Awards: 1990 - "Zlote Lwy Gdanskie" / "Gdansk Golden Lions," Journalists' Award, Award of the Chairman of the State Radio and Television Committee, Festival of Polish Feature Films, Gdynia; 1991 - Award of the Chairman of the State Cinema Committee for feature film direction; "Zlota Tasma" / "Golden Film Stock" Award for Best Polish Film of 1990, awarded by the Writing Club of the Association of Polish Filmmakers; "Zlota Kaczka" / "Golden Duck" for Best Polish Film of 1990, awarded by "Film" monthly; 1992 - Grand Prix, International Fantastic Film Festival, Avoriaz; 1994 - Best Film, International Fantastic Film Festival, Burgos).

About the director:

Wojciech Marczewski - film director and screenwriter; born on 28 February 1944 in Lódz. Marczewski began studying directing at the State Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in 1962. He suspended these studies in 1964 and enrolled at a university with the intention of studying philosophy and history. Three years later, he returned to the film school to complete the course of study in film directing. Although he produced his final project in 1969, he was not granted a degree until 1998. Marczewski has to date received two lifetime achievement awards. The first, dating from 1981, was an Award of the Minister of
Culture and Art 2nd class in the realm of cinema (for artistic achievement in the films "Zmory / Nightmares" and "Dreszcze / Shivers"). Marczewski received a second distinction from the Minister of Culture of Poland in 2002, this one a general award for cinematic achievement in the year 2001.  In 2002 that the director was granted the academic title of Professor of Film Art. 

(All text courtesy of Halina Olczak-Moraczewska and Culture pl)