Polish Film Festival

7th ANNUAL POLISH FILM FESTIVALAll films in Polish with English subtitles

presented by the Kosciuszko Foundation New England Chapter

WHEN:      Wednesdays, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29*, 2008                  7:00 p.m.                  see film schedule below* The screening of KATYŃ on Oct. 29, at 7 pm, will be in Berchmans Hall of Elms College.

WHERE:     Elms College - Alumnae Library Theater                  Chicopee, MA   When: Wednesday, October 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 at 7pm

COST:        Donations accepted at the door   

INFO:        newengland.thekf.org   

This year’s five films cover a wide range of writers: Kraszewski, Mniszkowa, Iwaszkiewicz and Mularczyk.

Special feature Commentary on films by Jan Paluchowski and Elźbieta Świercz 

STARA BAŚŃ (An Ancient Tale)                     Wednesday, October 1, 2008   7pm The action “takes place in 9th century Europe, when different Slavic tribes lived on the land that becomes Poland and each tribe worshipped its own separate god. A cruel prince, Popiel, and his scheming wife, will do anything in their power to ensure that control of this land passes to their son.” In 1875 Józef Ignacy Kraszewski authored Stara Baśń as one of a series of novels on the history of Poland.

TRĘDOWATA (The Leper)                 Wednesday, October 8, 2008   7pm“A moving, melodramatic story of the forbidden love affair between a wealthy young nobleman and the beautiful teacher of a high society girl. The town folk try to destroy the feelings between these two people of different social positions.” This is the third adaption of the popular 1908 novel by Helena Mniszkowa. The 1939 book had 20 editions.

PANNY Z WILKA (Young Girls of Wilko)   Wednesday, October 15, 2008   7pm“Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1980, this breathtaking Andrzej Wajda film brings Jarosław Iwaszkiewiecz’s classic novel to the big screen. After 15 years away, Wiktor returns to Wilko, where he spent a very important part of his life. He comes to realize his own personal impact on the town and forces the young girls of Wilko to reconsider their own lives.”

PORA UMIERAĆ (Time to Die)   Wednesday, October 22, 2008   7pm“Aniela awaits the end in a beautiful but dilapidated mansion. With only her faithful dog Phila as an ally, she fends off her scheming son’s attempt to sell the house to a property developer.” The film features 92-year-old actress Danuta Szaflarska in a role called “a crowning career achievement.” In 2007 she received the Best Actress award at the Gdynia Film Festival. This film was featured at the 2008 NYC Polish Film Festival.

KATYŃ                                                                   Wednesday, October 29, 2008   7pmAndrzej Wajda’s Academy Award Nominee Katyń “is the story of Polish officers murdered by the Russians during WWII and their families who, unaware of the crime, were still waiting for their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers to return. Katyń is also about an invincible struggle for memory and truth and an uncompromising reckoning with the lie of the communist powers created to force to forget those who had been killed. The film is based on Andrzej Mularczyk’s novel, Post Mortem-The Katyń Story.

Click on the "Polish Film Fest 2008" attachment below for a printable PDF film schedule.