2005波兰剧情·喜剧·历史
The original movie prepared by the Polish Television for the celebration of August 80 events. Film consists 13 etudes realized by prominent Polish directors, who share their reflections connected with 25. anniversary of NSZZ "Solidarity". Every etude is the stand-alone artistic statement, different in form and the content. Some have documental character, other are plot based shorts, one is even realized as a video clip. Mockery shuffles with pathos, seriousness with grotesque, nostalgia and emotion with disappointment, sorrow and anger. They present rather bitter view on polish latest history. Distorted ideals, lost heroes, unnecessary symbols - it shouldn't be this way. But though the movement didn't stamped its influence on the society, and young generation think about the "Solidarity" more often in the category of careerists and dirty politics than democracy and justice, it was the time of social unity, hope and belief, which majority of us never before experienced, and probably won't never again.
Juliusz Machulski - Sushi
The movie is opened by kept in comedy tone Juliusz Machulski's etude "Sushi". Movie producer Marek (Marek Kondrat) receives the proposal of realizing short film about "Solidarity". He engages his friends (Katarzyna Herman, Robert Więckiewicz) - experts in advertisement to help him. They wonder, what exactly "Solidarity" gave them.
Andrzej Jakimowski - Bag
In the second short story, Andrzej Jakimowski's "Bag", in the train, two thieves (Krzysztof Kiersznowski, Rafał Guźniczak) steal a fellow-traveller's (Leszek Żurek) bag. To their disappointment, there are only "Solidarity" leaflets copied on the duplicator in it.
Jerzy Domaradzki - Blackboards
Jerzy Domaradzki's document "Boards" tales a history of the boards, on which - with help of two students (Bartek Turzyński, Daniel Zawadzki) - strikers from Danzig's Shipyard made a list of their postulates, and they hung it on a shipyard's gate.
Jan Jakub Kolski - The Great Bear
Action of Jan Jakub Kolski's short takes place in the summer of 1980 in Italian Alps. Three young Polish cavers, Janek (Maciej Zakościelny), Rudy (Cezary Łukaszewicz) and Staszek (Eryk Lubos), during exploration of the cave become imprisoned under the ground. While waiting for help, they find out from colleagues about signature of August agreements. It becomes pretext to conversation about socio-political situation in Poland, their hopes and dreams. One of them, student Janek, is the later director of this short.
Piotr Trzaskalski - Ball pen
The hero of "Ball pen", Janusz (Waldemar Czyszak), wants to earn on huge, plastic ball pens with pope's picture, however nobody wants to buy them.
Filip Bajon - Petrol
In etude "Petrol" in August 1980 two young men: Tomek (Maciej Stuhr) and Filip (Marcin Dorociński) meet in the train going to coast. Both read Tadeusz Konwicki's "Small Apocalypse". Filip transports with him a can of petrol. During a conversation Tomek gets to suspect that his fellow-traveller wants to commit suicide by the self-immolation. In fervent words he tries to stop him.
Krzysztof Zanussi - Tanks
In documental etude "Tanks" Krzysztof Zanussi comes back to time, when he realized John Paul II's biography - "From a Far Country" in the winter of 1981 in Cracow. The probability of Soviet armies entering Poland caused, that when in one scene extras had to put on Soviet and German uniforms, all hands drew out for German.
Robert Glinski - Scenery
Robert Gliński's "Scenery" portrays the Danzig Shipyard as a depressing metaphor of what happened with "Solidarity". Rusting halls, empty docks, litter raised by wind. Only foreign trips go around historical cradle of the union. Former workers are in the majority unemployed.
Ryszard Bugajski - What Happened to Our Solidarity?
Richard Bugajski proposed video clip " What Happened to Our Solidarity??", in which Grzegorz Markowski, together with two young rappers, (Bzyk and Guzik from Wu - Hae band), dramatically sing latest 40 years of Polish history.
Jacek Bromski - And You Know What?
In the short story "And you know what?" Roman, businessman and former political prisoner (Krzysztof Stroiński), goes to bank to apply for a credit. The president of bank, former party dignitary and procurator (Janusz Gajos), who arrested the opposition members, including Roman, will now again decide about his future. Nervous Roman's wife (Anna Romantowska) waits outside.
Feliks Falk - Short Story of One Blackboard
Feliks Falk prepared the black and white animated etude "Short Story of One Blackboard", realized by the technique of collage. It is about a white board with the characteristic, red letter name "Solidarity" written on. After the period of fight and the euphoria of victory the myths and the symbols go away in oblivion gradually.
Andrzej Wajda - Man of Hope
"Man of hope" is a record of the "Man of Iron" creator and main performers - Krystyna Janda and Jerzy Radziwiłowicz - with Lech Wałęsą in a great, empty hall of Danzig cinema Neptun. In 1980, while congratulating Andrzej Wajda his movie about August events Wałęsa encouraged him to film up next one - the "Man of hope". Film hasn't been yet made. What would it be about if filmed nowadays?
Malgorzata Szumowska - Father
Cycle of "Solidarity" etudes is closed by the fabularised document "Father" by Małgorzata Szumowska, in which archival materials set by her father, well-known documentalist are used. Thirty-year woman (Maja Ostaszewska) tells how "Solidarity" altered the life of her family, and especially father (Kazimierz Borowiec), idealist, who hasn't gained any profits and honors like many other oppositionists, but his daughter can live in a free country.