Editing Cinema of Poland (section)

== History ==

===Early history===
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Ślizgawka w Łazienkach - zanimowane kadry.gif
| caption1          = Animation made from preserved frames of ''[[Ślizgawka w Łazienkach]]''
| image2            = Cabman's Adventure 1902.jpg
| caption2          = Preserved frame from ''Przygoda dorożkarza'' - cabman notices that someone replaced his horse with a donkey
| image3            = Łódź Muzeum Kinematografii piwnice P5029858.JPG
| caption3          = Museum of cinematography in [[Łódź]]
| image4            = Pola Negri Ball.jpg
| caption4          = [[Pola Negri]], Polish [[femme fatale]] of [[silent film|silent cinema]]
| image5            = Eugeniusz-bodo 795791.jpg
| caption5          = [[Eugeniusz Bodo]], the "King of Polish actors" of the 1930s
| image6            = Andrzej Wajda OFF Plus Camera 2012 (cropped).jpg
| caption6          = [[Andrzej Wajda]], famous Polish director who received an [[Academy Honorary Award|Honorary Oscar]] in 2000
}}
The first [[Movie theater|cinema]] was founded in [[Łódź]] in 1899, several years after the invention of the [[Cinematograph]]. Initially dubbed ''Living Pictures Theatre'', it gained much popularity and by the end of the next decade there were cinemas in almost every major town in Poland. Arguably the first Polish filmmaker was [[Kazimierz Prószyński]], who filmed various short documentaries in [[Warsaw]]. His [[pleograph]] [[film camera]] had been patented before the [[Lumière brothers]]' invention and he is credited as the author of the earliest surviving Polish documentary titled ''[[Ślizgawka w Łazienkach]]'' (''Skating-rink in the [[Royal Baths]]'', also known as ''On skating-rink''<ref>{{Citation |author = Władysław Jewsiewicki |title = Kazimierz Prószyński |date = 1974 |access-date = 2023-11-22 |place = Warszawa |pages = 49–50 |publisher = Fundacja HINT |url = http://hint.org.pl/hid=680DB |language = pl}}</ref>), made between 1894 and 1896, as well as the first short [[narrative film]]s ''Powrót birbanta'' (''Rake's return home'') and ''Przygoda dorożkarza'' (''Cabman's Adventure''), both created in 1902. Another pioneer of cinema was [[Bolesław Matuszewski]], who became one of the first filmmakers working for the Lumière company - and the official "cinematographer" of the Russian tsars in 1897.

The earliest surviving [[short film]] is ''[[Pruska kultura]]'' (''Prussian Culture'') and the earliest surviving [[feature film]] is ''Antoś pierwszy raz w Warszawie'' (''Antoś for the First Time in Warsaw''). Both of them were made in 1908, the first one by an unknown director and the second one by [[Antoni Fertner]]. The date of ''Antoś''' [[première]], October 22, 1908, is considered the founding date of the Polish [[film industry]]. Soon Polish artists started experimenting with other genres of cinema: in 1910 [[Władysław Starewicz]] made one of the first [[animated cartoon]]s in the world - and the first to use the [[stop motion]] technique, the ''Piękna Lukanida'' (''Beautiful Lukanida''). By the start of [[World War I]] the cinema in Poland was already in full swing, with numerous adaptations of major works of [[Polish literature]] screened (notably the ''[[Dzieje grzechu]]'', ''Meir Ezofowicz'' and ''[[Nad Niemnem]]'').

During World War I the Polish cinema crossed borders. Films made in Warsaw or [[Vilnius]] were often rebranded with German-language [[intertitle]]s and shown in [[Berlin]]. That was how a young actress [[Pola Negri]] (born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec) gained fame in Germany and eventually became one of the European super-stars of [[silent film]].

The first woman to direct a film in Poland and the only female film director of the Polish silent film era was [[Nina Niovilla]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Stachówna |first=Grażyna |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54398332 |title=The New Polish Cinema |date=2003 |publisher=Flick Books |others=Janina Falkowska, [[Marek Haltof]] (eds.) |isbn=1-86236-002-2 |location=Trowbridge |pages=99 |chapter=A Wormwood Wreath: Polish Women's Cinema |oclc=54398332}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Haltof |first=Marek |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1056624930 |title=Polish Cinema: A History |publisher=[[Berghahn Books]] |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-78533-973-8 |edition=Second, updated |location=Oxford |pages=22–23 |oclc=1056624930 |author-link=Marek Haltof}}</ref> She debuted in 1918 in Berlin,<ref name=":1" /> and then directed her first Polish film<ref name=":1" /> titled ''Tamara'' (also known under the title ''Obrońcy Lwowa'') in 1919.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

During World War II, Polish filmmakers in Great Britain created the anti-Nazi color film ''Calling Mr. Smith''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lux.org.uk/work/calling-mr-smith1 |title=Calling Mr. Smith - LUX |access-date=2018-01-30 |archive-date=2018-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425234317/https://lux.org.uk/work/calling-mr-smith1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.centrepompidou.fr/cpv/resource/cAXbMp/rqGRLe9 |title=L'œuvre Calling Mr Smith - Centre Pompidou |access-date=2018-01-30 |archive-date=2018-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131024033/https://www.centrepompidou.fr/cpv/resource/cAXbMp/rqGRLe9 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://artincinema.com/franciszka-and-stefan-themerson-calling-mr-smith-1943/ |title=Franciszka and Stefan Themerson: Calling Mr. Smith (1943) |access-date=2018-01-30 |archive-date=2018-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131024247/http://artincinema.com/franciszka-and-stefan-themerson-calling-mr-smith-1943/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> (1943) about Nazi crimes in occupied Europe and about Nazi propaganda. It was one of the first anti-Nazi films in history being both an avant-garde and a documentary film.

===After WWII===

In November 1945, the communist government founded the film production and distribution organization [[Film Polski]], and put the well-known [[Polish People's Army]] filmmaker [[Aleksander Ford]] in charge. Starting with a few railway carriages full of film equipment taken from the Germans they proceed to train and build a Polish film industry. The FP output was limited; only thirteen features were released between 1947 and its dissolution in 1952, concentrating on Polish suffering at the hands of the Nazis.<ref name="Haltof2002">Marek Haltof (2002). ''[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/965534.Polish_National_Cinema Polish national cinema.]'' Berghahn Books, p. 49. {{ISBN|157181275X}}.</ref> In 1947, Ford moved to help establish the new [[National Film School in Łódź]], where he taught for 20 years.

The industry used imported cameras and film stocks. At first ORWO black and white film stock from East Germany and then Eastman colour negative stock and ORWO print stocks for rushes and release prints. Poland made its own lighting equipment. Because of the high costs of film stock Polish films were shot with very low shooting ratios, the amount of film stock used in shooting the film to length of the finished film. The equipment and film stock were not the best and budgets were modest but the film makers received probably the best training in the world from the Polish Film School. Another advantage was Film Polski's status as a state organisation, so its film-makers had access to all Polish institutions and their cooperation in making their films. Film cameras were able to enter almost every aspect of Polish life.

The first film produced in Poland following the World War II was ''[[Zakazane piosenki]]'' (1946), directed by [[Leonard Buczkowski]], which was seen by 10.8 million people (out of 23,8 total population) in its initial theatrical run.<ref name="Haltof">{{cite book | author =Marek Haltof | title =Polish national cinema | year =2002 | pages =49–50 | publisher =Berghahn Books | isbn=978-1-57181-276-6 }}</ref> Buczkowski continued to make films regularly until his death in 1967. Other important films of the early post-World War II period were ''[[The Last Stage]]'' (1948), directed by [[Wanda Jakubowska]], who continued to make films until the transition from communism to capitalism in 1989, and ''[[Border Street]]'' (1949), directed by Aleksander Ford.

By the mid-1950s, following the end of [[Stalinism in Poland]], Film production was organised into film groups. A film group was a collection of film makers, led by an experienced film director and consisting of writers, film directors and production managers. They would write scripts, create budgets, apply for funding off the Ministry of Culture and produce the picture. They would hire actors and crew, and use studios and laboratories controlled by Film Polski.

The change in political climate gave rise to the [[Polish Film School]] movement, a training ground for some of the icons of the world cinematography, e.g., [[Roman Polański]] (''[[Knife in the Water]]'', ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]'', ''[[Frantic (film)|Frantic]]'', ''[[The Pianist (2002 film)|The Pianist]]'') and [[Krzysztof Zanussi]] (a leading director of the so-called ''[[cinema of moral anxiety]]'' of the 1970s). [[Andrzej Wajda]]'s films offer insightful analyses of the universal element of the Polish experience - the struggle to maintain dignity under the most trying circumstances. His films defined several Polish generations. In 2000, Wajda was awarded an honorary [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for his overall contribution to cinema. Four of his films were nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] award at [[Academy Awards]] with seven other Polish directors receiving one nomination each: Roman Polański, [[Jerzy Kawalerowicz]], [[Jerzy Hoffman]], [[Jerzy Antczak]], [[Agnieszka Holland]], [[Jan Komasa]] and [[Jerzy Skolimowski]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Oscar Winners 2020: See the Full List|url=https://oscar.go.com/news/winners/oscar-winners-2020-see-the-full-list|work=oscar.go.com |access-date=10 February 2020 |year=2020}}</ref> In 2015, Polish filmmaker [[Paweł Pawlikowski]] received this award for his film ''[[Ida (film)|Ida]]''. In 2019, he was also nominated to the award for his next film ''[[Cold War (2018 film)|Cold War]]'' in two categories - [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Oscar Winners 2019: See the Full List|url=https://oscar.go.com/news/winners/oscar-winners-2019-live-updates-to-come|work=oscar.go.com |access-date=7 March 2019 |year=2019}}</ref>

It is also important to note that during the 1980s, the People's Republic of Poland instituted the [[Martial law in Poland|martial law]] to vanquish and censor all forms of opposition against the communist rule of the nation, including outlets such as cinema and radio. A notable film to have emerged during this period was [[Ryszard Bugajski]]'s 1982 film ''[[Interrogation (1982 film)|Interrogation]]'' (''Przesluchanie''), which depicts the story of an unfortunate woman (played by [[Krystyna Janda]]) who is arrested and tortured by the secret police into confessing a crime she knows nothing about. The [[anti-communist]] nature of the film brought about the film's over seven-year ban. In 1989, the ban was repealed after the [[Revolutions of 1989#Reform in Poland|overthrow of the Communist government in Poland]], and the film was shown in theaters for the first time later that year. The film is still lauded today for its audacity in depicting the cruelty of the Stalinist regime, as many artists feared persecution during that time.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-26-ca-912-story.html |title=MOVIE REVIEW - 'Interrogation': Janda's Arresting Performance - Los Angeles Times |access-date=2009-09-23|work=Los Angeles Times | first=Sheila | last=Benson | date=1990-09-26}}</ref><ref name="Przesluchanie">{{cite web|url=http://www.secondrundvd.com/release_more_int.php |title=Second Run DVD - Interrogation |access-date=2009-09-24|work=Second Run DVD}}</ref>
{{Culture of Poland}}

In the 1990s, [[Krzysztof Kieślowski]] won a universal acclaim with productions such as ''[[Dekalog]]'' (made for television), ''[[The Double Life of Véronique]]'' and the ''[[Three Colors]]'' trilogy. Another of the most famous movies in Poland is [[Krzysztof Krauze]]’s ''[[The Debt (1999 film)|The Debt]]'', which became a blockbuster.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200810160306/http://www.eurochannel.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=355&id=355&lang=en&view=article Presentation of the Polish cinema on Eurochannel website]</ref> It showed the brutal reality of Polish capitalism and the growth of poverty.  A considerable number of Polish film directors (e.g., [[Agnieszka Holland]] and [[Janusz Kamiński]]) have worked in American studios. Polish animated films - like those by [[Jan Lenica]] and [[Zbigniew Rybczyński]] (Oscar, 1983) - drew on a long tradition and continued to derive their inspiration from Poland's graphic arts. Other notable Polish film directors include: [[Tomasz Bagiński]], [[Małgorzata Szumowska]], [[Jan Jakub Kolski]], [[Jerzy Kawalerowicz]], [[Stanisław Bareja]] and [[Janusz Zaorski]].

Among prominent annual film festivals taking place in Poland are: [[Warsaw International Film Festival]], [[Camerimage]], [[International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Camera]], [[New Horizons Film Festival]] as well as [[Gdynia Film Festival]] and [[Polish Film Awards]].

====Cinema audience====

The Communist government invested resources into building a sophisticated cinema audience. All the cinema were state owned and consisted of first run premiere cinema, local cinema and art house cinemas. Tickets were cheap and students and old people received discounts. In the city of Lodz there were 36 cinemas in the 1970s showing films from all over the world. There were the Italian films of Fellini, French comedies, American crime movies such as Don Siegel's "Charley Varrick" . Films were shown in their original versions with Polish subtitles.  Anti-Communist and Cold War films were not shown, but a bigger restriction was the cost of some films. There were popular film magazines like "Film" and "Screen", critical magazines such as "Kino". This all helped to build a well informed film audience.