Documentaries About Warsaw: Capital’s Territories
The winding streets of the Old Town, witnessing the ongoing reconstruction of the city. The marginalized neighborhoods juxtaposed with those embracing modernity. The documentaries crafted by maestros serve as a testament to the evolving map of Warsaw, rising from both literal and metaphorical ruins of a bygone metropolis. However, the Warsaw of the first postwar decades has long vanished. The films in the collection “Territories of the Capital” serve as a guide to this non-existent city, appealing to sentimental tourists seeking ghosts and shadows concealed within its nooks, alleys, and courtyards.
Jakub Demiańczuk
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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
3:00 PM
VENUE
Muzeum Warszawy Syrena
COPY / OTHERS
Intro
DATE
April 12, 2024
TIME
5:00 PM
VENUE
Muzeum Warszawy Syrena
COPY / OTHERS
- Intro
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– ???
Brzozowa Street
ENGLISH TITLE
Brzozowa Street
ORIGINAL TITLE
Ulica Brzozowa
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Wojciech Jerzy Has, Stanisław Różewicz
DURATION
9 min
YEAR
1947
COUNTRY
Poland
As Warsaw emerges anew from its ruins, life slowly returns to the old city streets. A debut film by Wojciech Has, brimming with empathy and subtle humor.
Jakub Demiańczuk
From Powiśle
ENGLISH TITLE
From Powiśle
ORIGINAL TITLE
Z Powiśla
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Kazimierz Karabasz
DURATION
10 min
YEAR
1958
COUNTRY
Poland
A nostalgic portrayal of the Powiśle neighborhood steeped in memories of the past and yearning for bygone times. A documentary shot on the fringes of the “Black Series”, though abandoning interventionist ambitions in favor of poetic commentary.
Jakub Demiańczuk
9 Grzybowska Street, For Example
ENGLISH TITLE
9 Grzybowska Street, For Example
ORIGINAL TITLE
Na przykład – Ul. Grzybowska
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Kazimierz Karabasz
DURATION
24 min
YEAR
1991
COUNTRY
Poland
The stories of three residents of an apartment building on Grzybowska Street ” – A bedroom like this, but in the heart of Warsaw,” they remark – serve as an attempt to universally capture the “here and now” of the Polish experience. A snapshot of post-transformation reality, lined with a sense of bitterness.
Jakub Demiańczuk
My Street
ENGLISH TITLE
My Street
ORIGINAL TITLE
Moja ulica
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Danuta Halladin
DURATION
9 min
YEAR
1965
COUNTRY
Poland
Twarda Street – renamed National Council Street during the Polish People’s Republic – seen through the eyes of its young inhabitants. Danuta Halladin’s characteristic childlike perspective, however, does not preclude a contemplation tinged with nostalgia and melancholy on the passing world.
Jakub Demiańczuk
Warszawa Główna
ENGLISH TITLE
Warsaw Main Railroad Station
ORIGINAL TITLE
Warszawa Główna
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Jan Łomnicki
DURATION
9 min
YEAR
1958
COUNTRY
Poland
“For all sorrows – Sunday on Warsaw Main,” sang Wojciech Młynarski. In Jan Łomnicki’s documentary, the bustling Warsaw Central Station epitomizes the city’s vibrancy, teeming with life. Amidst the crowd of captivating characters embarking on perpetual journeys, even Jacques Tati would have found himself comfortable.
Jakub Demiańczuk
Szczęśliwice
ENGLISH TITLE
Szczęśliwice
ORIGINAL TITLE
Szczęśliwice
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Włodzimierz Pomianowski
DURATION
8 min
YEAR
1960
COUNTRY
Poland
Warsaw, seen from the vantage point of a central garbage dump, described as “the sovereign kingdom of dead things.” A reporter’s dispatch from a place hidden from residents and tourists.
Jakub Demiańczuk
Ballad of the Wild West
ENGLISH TITLE
Ballad of the Wild West
ORIGINAL TITLE
Ballada o Dzikim Zachodzie
LANGUAGE
Polish
SUBTITLES
English
DIRECTOR
Jan Budkiewicz
DURATION
11 min
YEAR
1960
COUNTRY
Poland
In Jan Budkiewicz’s etude, the Wild West finds its parallel in the neglected streets of Warsaw’s Wola district, overrun by small factories, industrial plants, and auto repair shops. A world fading into history to the rhythm of a western ballad.
Jakub Demiańczuk
