This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Marek Haltof's seminal survey takes stock of dramatic shifts in Polish society and to provide an essential account of the nation's cinema from the nineteenth century to today.
Through a chronology; an introductory essay; appendixes, a bibliography; and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, actors, producers, and film institutions, a balanced picture of the richness of Polish cinema is presented.
The book provides an in-depth analysis of the representation of the Holocaust in Polish cinema, highlighting films from various eras and their cultural significance. It begins with early works like "The Last Stage" and "Border Street," progresses through the Polish School, and addresses the period of silence on Polish-Jewish relations before the resurgence of Holocaust films post-1989, such as "The Pianist." By situating these films within their historical and ideological contexts, the author contributes to both film studies and discussions on Poland's national memory.
Since his death in 1996, Krzysztof Kieslowski has remained the best-known contemporary Polish filmmaker and one of the most popular and respected European directors, internationally renowned for his ambitious Decalogue and Three Colors trilogy.In this new addition to the Directors'Cuts series, Marek Haltof provides a comprehensive study of Kieslowski's cinema, discussing industrial practices in Poland and stressing that the director did not fit the traditional image of a "great" East-Central European auteur. He draws a fascinating portrait of the stridently independent director's work, noting that Kieslowski was not afraid to express unpopular views in film or in life. Haltof also shows how the director's work remains unique in the context of Polish documentary and narrative cinema.