Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication
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The Romanian Filmmaker’s Union. Between Ambiguous Past and Uncertain Future
No full textThe Romanian Filmmaker’s Union. Between Ambiguous Past and Uncertain FuturThe Romanian Filmmakers’ Union is one of today’s largest cinematographic professional organisations inherited from the Communist past. This study looks at this specific form of institutionalising the activity of Romanian filmmakers from the perspective of its intermediary role between Party directives and divergent personal interests. The collapse of the regime made visible explosive tensions generated by this ambivalent institutional identity. It is therefore interesting to examine the consequences this organisation had on filmmakers’ status before and in the aftermath of the regime change. By using ethnographic methods, the article contributes to an understanding of the role the Union played in reconfiguring the professional community after 1989, especially after the coming of age of a generation of filmmakers who created new professional worlds that challenged the idea of ‘creative collectivity’.The Romanian Filmmakers’ Union is one of today’s largest cinematographic professional organisations inherited from the Communist past. This study looks at this specific form of institutionalising the activity of Romanian filmmakers from the perspective of its intermediary role between Party directives and divergent personal interests. The collapse of the regime made visible explosive tensions generated by this ambivalent institutional identity. It is therefore interesting to examine the consequences this organisation had on filmmakers’ status before and in the aftermath of the regime change. By using ethnographic methods, the article contributes to an understanding of the role the Union played in reconfiguring the professional community after 1989, especially after the coming of age of a generation of filmmakers who created new professional worlds that challenged the idea of ‘creative collectivity’
Małgorzata Szumowska – a Few Scenes from a Filmmaker’s Life (2000-2008)
Get PDFMałgorzata Szumowska – a Few Scenes from a Filmmaker’s Life (2000–2008)Małgorzata Szumowska – her strong position during the last decade in the history of Polish cinema seems unquestionable. Speaking with her own, original voice, she has successfully refused to be pigeonholed. The only thing one can be sure of in reference to Małgorzata Szumowska is that she will keep moving forward artistically. The main goal of the article is to examine this interesting journey, following selected threads, in particular, the need for love and facing death or a serious illness, in Szumowska’s filmography over the last decade.Małgorzata Szumowska – her strong position during the last decade in the history of Polish cinema seems unquestionable. Speaking with her own, original voice, she has successfully refused to be pigeonholed. The only thing one can be sure of in reference to Małgorzata Szumowska is that she will keep moving forward artistically. The main goal of the article is to examine this interesting journey, following selected threads, in particular, the need for love and facing death or a serious illness, in Szumowska’s filmography over the last decade
Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
Get PDFConfronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s filmHistorical films are important carriers of collective memory, and as a genre historical films can activate both strong feelings and strong debate. Historical fiction films often tell very accurate and almost documentary stories, but fictional films have the freedom to make historical reality in quite another way than factual historical films. This article deals with some of the most important historical film genres and uses a general theory of genres, emotions, memory and history to analyse the historical films of Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, especially those made post 1989. Dealing with both his heritage drama Pan Tadeusz (1999) and critical historical drama Katyń (2007), the article analyses the ways in which Wajda uses historical narratives to comment on both history and contemporary society, and how this strategy is reflected in all his historical films. The article argues that the traumatic and contrast-filled history of Poland makes historical films especially important and interesting as a critical part of public debate and the reframing and reinterpretation of the past
Medium: Wizualizacja pierwszej warstwy narracyjnej: Odkrywanie
Get PDFA director’s analysis of the narrative layers in the film Medium allows one see, among other things, the construction of individual elements of the film. Through an analysis of the construction of particular scenes and the relations between them within the story, the text describes the visual narrative structure of the first layer, i.e. “discovery” (the next layers are: confirmation, confrontation and fulfillment). Within the horror genre, this layer is an essential element in building a dramaturgical structure and in influencing the viewers’ reactions (including the visual pleasure of “discovering”).The Film Medium. Visualization of the First Layer of the Narrative Level: DiscoveryA director’s analysis of the narrative layers in the film Medium allows one see, among other things, the construction of individual elements of the film. Through an analysis of the construction of particular scenes and the relations between them within the story, the text describes the visual narrative structure of the first layer, i.e. “discovery” (the next layers are: confirmation, confrontation and fulfillment). Within the horror genre, this layer is an essential element in building a dramaturgical structure and in influencing the viewers’ reactions (including the visual pleasure of “discovering”)
Opowieść reżysera, który chce być reżyserowany
Get PDFThe review A Tale of a Director Who Wants to Be Directed concerns a book written by Jacek Bławut (A Character in a Documentary). Notable Polish filmmaker sums up some of his artistic achievements (not without mentioning the future plans), trying to explain his view on a co-operation with a movie character (especially due to a documentary genre), but also on a directing itself. The review follows the vital points of the book, placing them under two general categories: “author” and “character”. It also recalls (with no abbreviation) something that’s been called as “Dogmas or what’s important for me” – these are ten “rules” that Jacek Bławut (as a director) tries to adapt to all of his film doings.A Tale of a Director Who Wants to Be DirectedThe review A Tale of a Director Who Wants to Be Directed concerns a book written by Jacek Bławut (A Character in a Documentary). Notable Polish filmmaker sums up some of his artistic achievements (not without mentioning the future plans), trying to explain his view on a co-operation with a movie character (especially due to a documentary genre), but also on a directing itself. The review follows the vital points of the book, placing them under two general categories: “author” and “character”. It also recalls (with no abbreviation) something that’s been called as “Dogmas or what’s important for me” – these are ten “rules” that Jacek Bławut (as a director) tries to adapt to all of his film doings
A Brief History of Communism. "Rabbit à la Berlin" by Bartosz Konopka
No full textA Brief History of Communism. "Rabbit à la Berlin" by Bartosz KonopkaThe documentary film Rabbit à la Berlin (Królik po berlińsku), directed by Bartosz Konopka, tells the story of the Berlin Wall. The story is presented from an unusual perspective – that of the wild rabbits inhabiting the zone in the middle of the wall separating East and West Berlin, thus making reference to animal fables and the conventions of the nature film. The filmmakers also use known archival materials in an interesting way by placing them in new, surprising contexts. The story of animals told in Rabbit á la Berlin is parallel to that of people. The film combines these analogies in order to construct a powerful metaphor. The creators of Rabbit á la Berlin not only tell the story of the Germans, of East Germans separated from the western world, the story of the Berlin Wall, but also the story of Eastern European people living behind the Iron Curtain
Tajemnica korespondencji. O "Cudzych listach" Macieja J. Drygasa
Get PDFMaciej J. Drygas teaches film direction at Film School in Łódź. His lavishly illustrated recent work “Someone’s else letters” is one of the best Polish editing documentaries ever made. The product of extensive research provided by the author in many archives is sure to provoke much debate and discussion about lack of freedom, breaking law by the state secret institutions, crucial importance of human rights and misery of everyday life conditions in Poland 1944-1989. In so doing Drygas greatly enlarges our knowledge and the scope of any understanding of this period. Marek Hendrykowski’s study is the first complete presentation ever published, covering every aspect of this excellent film, expressing its significance and including detailed analysis of its poetics.The Secret of Correspondence. On Maciej J. Drygas’s Documentary Film „Someone’s else letters” (2010)Maciej J. Drygas teaches film direction at Film School in Łódź. His lavishly illustrated recent work “Someone’s else letters” is one of the best Polish editing documentaries ever made. The product of extensive research provided by the author in many archives is sure to provoke much debate and discussion about lack of freedom, breaking law by the state secret institutions, crucial importance of human rights and misery of everyday life conditions in Poland 1944-1989. In so doing Drygas greatly enlarges our knowledge and the scope of any understanding of this period. Marek Hendrykowski’s study is the first complete presentation ever published, covering every aspect of this excellent film, expressing its significance and including detailed analysis of its poetics
