Andrzej Wajda's Birthday
March 6, 2021 marks the 95th anniversary of the birth of the great Polish director Andrzej Wajda.
Any fan of Pan Wajda's work or simply interested in his work will find on the Internet a bunch of materials (articles, essays, memoirs, reviews, etc.) about this director, written by real experts. I just want to write about my touchings with the work of Andrzej Wajda.
I remember how back in the early 60s, after the Polish film "Jak byc kochana (How to Be Loved)" was shown on television, my parents, big movie fans, discussing popular actors and actresses among themselves, often mentioned the name of Zbigniew Cybulski, comparing him with the then universal favorite Evgeny Urbansky. At the same time, in a half-whisper, it was added that Cybulski was almost an anti-Soviet, since he starred in the leading role in the anti-Soviet film "Popiól i diament (Ashes and Diamonds)", which was filmed by Andrzej Wajda. It was in this context that I heard this name for the first time.
However, in 1965 the film "Ashes and Diamonds" miraculously appeared on the screens of Soviet cinemas, and my parents naturally rushed to the cinema. Well, and apparently there was no one to leave me with, so they took me with them. Honestly, then I, a second grader, did not understand anything in this film. But the film was remembered.
In the mid-70s, already as a student, I watched "Krajobraz po bitwie (Landscape After Battle)" with my friends. The film made a stunning impression. We went several more times and wondered why it got to Soviet cinemas in about 5-6 years. After all, there were nothing anti-Soviet there! We decided that all these 5-6 years the valiant knights of the cloak and censorship diligently cut out from the film everything that could at least partially be considered as anti-Sovietism.
Then I shared my impressions of the film with my classmate, and as it turned out, her groom, a young Soviet diplomat, was personally acquainted with Pan Wajda. Well, they were both ardent fans of him. She immediately dragged me to the film "Wszystko na sprzedaz (Everything for Sale)", which at that time was shown only in the "Illusion" cinema. The film made an even greater impression. I still don't understand why at IMDB this movie received such low ratings? After these films, my friends and I were already looking forward to the release of the announced "Ziemia obiecana (The Promised Land)" and "Panny z Wilka (The Maids of Wilko)". And these films did not disappoint our expectations.
And then, in the 80s, Waida's films disappeared from the wide Soviet distribution, and his name was practically not mentioned in the Soviet media. In roundabout ways, information reached us that Wajda, who had taken an active part in the "Solidarność (Solidarity) movement, had shot the anti-Soviet film "Czlowiek z zelaza (Man of Iron)", was forced to leave Poland. But even outside Poland, Andrzej Wajda continued to make brilliant films. Which, unfortunately, were banned for Soviet moviegoers.
In the 90s, it was finally possible to watch almost all of Wajda's films. Don't miss this opportunity. Who knows what will happen next. They thought about restoring the monument to Dzerzhinsky, which means they would also think about banning Waida's films.
Andrzej Wajda directed 36 full-length feature films on his own, and also directed a short story for one film almanac. Three films directed by Andrzej Wajda entered the Golden Thousand. Thanks to this indicator, Andrzej Wajda is included in the list of the 100 greatest directors of world cinema, compiled by FilmGourmand. As a director, Pan Andrzej won 57 film awards, including such prestigious awards as the British BAFTA Award, the Palme d'Or and the Special Jury Prize of the Cannes International Film Festival, the French César Award, two Golden Prizes of the Moscow International Film Festival, the Silver Seashell of the San Sebastian International Film Festival as well as for the totality of achievements in world cinema, the honorary Oscar, Golden and Silver Bears of the Berlin International Film Festival, the César Prize, the European Film Award, the Golden Lion of the Venice International Film Festival.
To commemorate the birthday of the great Master, we invite fans of his work to recall frames from his best films included in the Golden Thousand.
