Interwar Warsaw: A Set of Archival Shorts
Polish interwar cinema is not limited to popular feature films. Our filmmakers also made many shorts, including documentaries, most of which sadly remain unknown to the larger public. At the Timeless Film Festival Warsaw, we are showing a selection of films dedicated to the Polish capital which were made in the 1930s. There are reportages which were shot during state ceremonies such as the changing of the guard, celebrations of the 20th anniversary of regaining independence, as well as impressions that show the modern city in a poetic way, along with its old alleys, its history and everyday life. All these films were digitalized by the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute (FINA), and some of them were digitally restored as part of the operational program Digital Poland.
Michał Pieńkowski
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Free admission. Entrance tickets for all screenings on a given day will be available one hour before the start of the first screening of that day. A maximum of two entrance tickets per screening can be collected.
DATE
April 11, 2024
TIME
7:00 PM
VENUE
Muzeum Warszawy Syrena
COPY / OTHERS
Intro
DATE
April 13, 2024
TIME
4:00 PM
VENUE
Muzeum Warszawy Syrena
COPY / OTHERS
- Intro
ENGLISH TITLE
Interwar Warsaw: A Set of Archival Shorts
SECTION
DURATION
75 min
DECADE
EDITION
TRIGGER WARNING
From Wanderings in Warsaw
ENGLISH TITLE
From Wanderings in Warsaw
ORIGINAL TITLE
Z wędrówek po Warszawie
LANGUAGE
polish intertitles
DIRECTOR
Antoni Nowosielski, Stanisław Rodowicz
DURATION
8 min
YEAR
1932
COUNTRY
Poland
A nostalgic trip to the Polish capital of the 1930s. The film was restored using an incomplete copy and silent working materials.
Michał Pieńkowski
Palace on the Isle
ENGLISH TITLE
Palace on the Isle
ORIGINAL TITLE
Pałac na wodzie
LANGUAGE
Polish
DIRECTOR
Leon Jeannot
DURATION
8 min
YEAR
1936
COUNTRY
Poland
RIGHTS
FINA
PRODUCER
Włodzimierz Babijczuk
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Henryk Vlassak (black&white)
A walk through the Royal Baths Park during which we learn about its history and architecture.
Michał Pieńkowski
Changing of the Guard at the City Headquarters
ENGLISH TITLE
Changing of the Guard at the City Headquarters
ORIGINAL TITLE
Zmiana warty głównej przed Komendą Miasta w Warszawie
LANGUAGE
Polish
DURATION
8 min
YEAR
1938
COUNTRY
Poland
RIGHTS
Polska Agencja Telegraficzna
Coverage of the celebratory changing of the guard at the City Headquarters and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.
Michał Pieńkowski
A Sunday in Warsaw
ENGLISH TITLE
A Sunday in Warsaw
ORIGINAL TITLE
Warszawska niedziela
LANGUAGE
Polish
DURATION
8 min
YEAR
1938
COUNTRY
Poland
RIGHTS
FINA
A reportage depicting one summer day in the life of Warsaw and its inhabitants. Even though the filmmakers remain unknown, it’s probably one of the first experimental Polish TV productions.
Michał Pieńkowski
Warsaw Once and Today
ENGLISH TITLE
Warsaw Once and Today
ORIGINAL TITLE
Warszawa dawna i dzisiejsza
LANGUAGE
Polish
DIRECTOR
Ryszard Biske
DURATION
11 min
YEAR
1934
COUNTRY
Poland
RIGHTS
FINA
PRODUCTION
Polski Film
SCREENPLAY
Ryszard Biske
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Seweryn Steinwurzel (black&white)
ART DIRECTION
Józef Handt
An album with Canaletto’s reproductions browsed by a little girl is an occasion to visit the past and compare contemporary Warsaw with 18th century paintings. The narrator of the film is the most famous interwar radio presenter Tadeusz Bocheński. The use of cinema organ for illustrating the documentary musically is a unique feature of the film.
Michał Pieńkowski
20th Anniversary of Independence
ENGLISH TITLE
20th Anniversary of Independence
ORIGINAL TITLE
Dwudziestolecie niepodległości
LANGUAGE
Polish
DIRECTOR
Witold Giersz
DURATION
11 min
YEAR
1938
COUNTRY
Poland
RIGHTS
Polska Agencja Telegraficzna
Coverage of the celebrations of Independence Day and the 20th anniversary of the Second Polish Republic in Warsaw and in Trans-Olza.
Michał Pieńkowski
Warsaw Memories
ENGLISH TITLE
Warsaw Memories
ORIGINAL TITLE
Wspomnienia z Warszawy
LANGUAGE
Polish
DIRECTOR
Franciszek Ożga
DURATION
21 min
YEAR
1944
COUNTRY
Poland
PRODUCTION
Polish-American Film Corporation
CAST
Tadeusz Faliszewski, Helena Grossówna, Loda Halama, Fryderyk Járosy, Marian Rentgen, Stanisław Sielański, Zofia Terné, Henryk Wars, Lena Żelichowska, Chór Dana
Warsaw Parade (1937) was the only film revue produced in Poland. It was a medley of songs, monologues, and dance numbers performed by the Warsaw idols of the 1930s. During World War II the pieces that remained were re-edited in the USA and that’s how the short Warsaw Memories was created, which consists of nine scenes from Warsaw Parade.
Michał Pieńkowski
