A Room with a View on the Sea

An early incarnation of Polish cinema of moral anxiety, and simultaneously a perfect example of one of the most characteristic techniques of this style: a tense confrontation of two opposing attitudes. A young man stands on the ledge of a building, threatening to kill himself. For the crowd gathering below, it’s an opportunity to witness an unusual spectacle, and for those inside – a problem to be solved as quickly as possible. This is also the starting point for a showdown between two psychiatrists (superb performances from Piotr Fronczewski and Gustaw Holoubek), who have diametrically opposing ideas about how to save the man. It’s also an opportunity to explore fundamental questions about the very existence of free will, the differences between conscious and unconscious decision-making, and the limits of science’s involvement in human life. How can an individual maintain autonomy in a society that sees collectivity as the greatest virtue? Janusz Zaorski asks this question from a room overlooking Gierek-era Poland.

Piotr Sadzik

Janusz Zaorski (b. 1947) is a Polish director and screenwriter. “I feel like a professional director who can tell any story in a professional way”, he once said in an interview. And indeed, his rich and diverse oeuvre contains both ambitious period films (The Mother of Kings) and entertaining gems (Hacker). Between 1994–95, he was the chairman of the National Council of Radio and Television. He was also the artistic director of the Dom Film Collective.