"Repertory Cinema 2016" to revisit Polish film master's celebrated works
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To complement the screenings, programme curator Law Wai-ming and film critics Matthew Cheng and Lam Kam-po will host a seminar entitled "Wajda 90" at 4.30pm on October 30 at the HKFA Cinema. It will be conducted in Cantonese with free admission. In addition, three master study courses entitled "A Guide to Wajda’s Films through War and Death" (November 5), "Contingency and Necessity in Wajda's Films" (November 19) and "Wajda’s Trilogy of Resistance" (November 26) will be conducted by film critics William Lau, Long Tin and Ka Ming respectively. The courses will be held in the Function Rooms (AC1/2), Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre at 2.30pm. All the courses will be conducted in Cantonese and the fee per session is $90.
Andrzej Wajda, whose father was executed during World War II, was born in Suwałki, Poland in 1926. During WWII Wajda was a member of Poland’s underground army. He enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow after the war and then went to the Lodz Film School. Wajda’s debut feature, "A Generation", which he made in 1955, was considered to mark the beginning of Polish cinema. In 1972 he formed the influential film unit "X" with other like-minded filmmakers for production purposes as well as the nurturing of young talents. During his 60 years of film direction, Wajda made about 40 features including numerous award-winning works. He was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2000.
Wajda has always had a sense of commitment towards Polish history, society and culture, with his works covering a wide range of genres. For example, the world-renowned "War Trilogy", of which "Kanal" (1957) and "Ashes and Diamonds" (1958) will be screened, are themed on war, Polish history and contemporary Poland. These films depict former taboo political topics in Poland, and were recognised at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals respectively, also marking the start of the Polish New Wave - the "Polish School".
Centered on World War II, "Landscape after Battle" (1970) features a Polish intellectual, who is also the survivor of a concentration camp, falling in love with a Polish Jewess who is eager to start a new life in the West. "Korczak" (1990) tells of a Jewish doctor, Korczak, who is allowed to operate an orphanage of 200 Jewish children in the ghetto and is willing to lose his last shred of dignity to protect his children. Telling the history of Poland, "The Ashes I & II" (1965) is regarded as the Polish version of "War and Peace", and follows a young Polish man joining Napolean’s French army and aiming to bring hope for the new generation. Best Film at the Polish Film Festival 2008, "Katyn" (2007) depicts the truth behind a massacre and the horror of self-deceipt.
"Innocent Sorcerers" (1960) stems from young director Skolimowski's criticism of "Ashes and Diamonds", which led to Wajda inviting him to rewrite the script and thus to this impressive, romantic work. The film resounds with the sound of jazz, once taboo with the Polish authorities, and which symbolises the yearning for freedom of Poland’s youth. "Hunting Flies" (1969) is a rare satirical comedy by Wajda, through which he highlights the younger generation’s indulgence and confusion towards lust, as well as his own frustrations about marriage.
Wajda made "Everything for Sale" (1968) as a tribute to Zbigniew Cybulski, the famed star of "Ashes and Diamonds", who died while still young. The story begins with a filming scene in which the actors use their real names and share their inner feelings. The film is his most personal work, a mix of cinema and reality. "Sweet Rush" (2009) is another of Wajda's award-winning works to mourn his close cinematographer friend – and who was also the husband of the film’s female lead. Blending the private life of the actress and the world of cinema, the film is an extraordinary literary adaptation.
Based on a popular Polish play, "The Wedding" (1973) highlights class differences towards Poland's national identity and independence. The wedding symbolises both human nature and the future of the country, showcasing Wajda's extraordinary insight. "The Promised Land" (1975) is Wajda's adaptation from the novel of the same title by Władysław Reymont, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. This epic work follows an entrepreneur in Lodz, a hub of Polish industry 100 years ago, and won awards at film festivals in Moscow and Chicago and more. It is also regarded as one of the best feature films of Polish cinema. Aside from films, Wajda is also fond of dramas. Wajda’s "The Dead Class" (1976) is a documentary about Polish theatre pioneer Tadeusz Kantor at the height of his powers.
In the 1970s, the Moral Anxiety film movement in Poland produced a series of works that criticise reality through the use of metaphors. One of Wajda's important works, "Man of Marble" (1977) features a fearless female film student who is determined to uncover the truth behind a missing bricklayer, Birkut. Its sequel, "Man of Iron" (1981) depicts the blood and tears of the Polish people's fight for justice and freedom through the encounters of Birkut’s son during union activities. The films respectively won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Another winner at the Cannes Film Festival, "Without Anesthesia" (1978), features a renowned journalist who finds his life falling apart after returning to his country from reporting abroad, due to his innocuous comments. "The Maids of Wilko" (1979) is an unexpected meditative work made in the Moral Anxiety period. The film follows a man going back to his rural home after living in city for 15 years and recognising his neighbour’s sisters. It is a work of great delicacy that speaks to the heart.
Wajda remains active nowadays and continues to make films. Aged 87 Wajda made "Walesa. Man of Hope" (2013) to mark the 70th birthday of Lech Walesa, the leader of Solidarity, completing the "Workers Trilogy" following "Man of Marble" and "Man of Iron". Directed, scripted and played by Wajda himself, "A Lesson of Polish Cinema" (2002) is his personal statement as the representative of Polish cinema.
A reference film, "Up-close and Personal: Andrzej Wajda" (2004), will also be screened, with various reminiscences on Wajda's film unit "X" by four women who are close to him.
"The Promised Land" is classified as Category III, meaning that only persons aged 18 and above will be admitted. "Kanal", "Ashes and Diamonds", "Korczak", "Everything for Sale", "Without Anesthesia" and "Katyn" have Chinese and English subtitles. The other films have English subtitles.
Screening tickets are priced at $55. Tickets for all screenings and master study courses are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/rc2016/.
Ends/Friday, September 30, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:00
Issued at HKT 12:00
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