Polski przemysł filmowy i ludzie w nim pracujący - Polish Film Industry and Its People

The beginnings of Polish cinema date back to the period between the two world wars. Adolf Dymsza was one of the biggest film stars, but only one person succeeded abroad, and it was Apolonia Chalupiec known as Pola Negri. She played in Polish films such as Niewolnica zmysłów ( A slave of senses), German (Madame Dubarry, Anne Boleyn) and American ones, for example, Pamiętnik gwiazdy (A star's diary).

The late '50s and early '60s were the golden age of Polish cinema. We owe this success we owe to directors such as Andrzej Wajda or Andrzej Munk. In 1963 Roman Polanski began his career with a film Nóż w wodzie (A knife in water). In the ''70s Krzysztof Kieslowski, Agnieszka Holland and Krzysztof Zanussi emerged. They became famous and received many prestigious prizes. Andrzej Wajda was awarded a Golden Palm at the Cannes Festival for Człowiek z żelaza (The man of iron), and an Oscar for all his achievements. Oscar Prizes were also given to Lew Rymn and Alan Stawski for their participation in Steven Spielberg's film The Schindler's List. Zbigniew Rybczynski received an Oscar for his cartoon Tango. Such Polish composers of film music as Wojciech Kilar and Zbigniew Preisner are famous as well.

Polish cinemas have been dominated by American production for some time. But we have got many good Polish actors who are famous abroad, too, for example, Daniel Olbrychski or Andrzej Seweryn, and Polish films attract a large public, too.

In conclusion I would like to say that Polish cinema has been reborn and such blockbusters as Ogniem i mieczem by Jerzy Hoffman and Pan Tadeusz by Andrzej Wajda prove it.

[Arkadiusz Szymczak]