Still from Judyta Fibiger's "Political Dress"
When in spite of economic hardship and political repression Poles followed their passions, stood up for what they believed in and took responsibility for their own well-being, their actions influenced the course of history and initiated certain trends visible in contemporary Poland
A documentary series about the incredible feats of Poles during communism, from the simplest accomplishment of making one's own toys and tailoring clothes at a time when these things weren't readily available, to conquering the Himalayan peaks, the four films are about the instinct of survival and the strife for better life. Judyta Fibigier’s Political Dress, Wojciech Słota and Leszek Gnoiński’s Beats of Freedom, Andrzej Wolski's Toys and Wojciech Słota and Marek Kłosowicz’ Art of Freedom are shown as part of the Polish Notebooks section of the 22nd International Message to Man Film Festival in Saint Petersburg.
The documentary film series aims to destroy certain stereotypes, and show that the Poles managed to overcome the limitations caused by communism in several domains. Beats of Freedom shows how the Iron Curtian turned out not to be as impenetrable as the socialist authorities would have hoped and a number of major acts new to the international scene made their way over to Poland from the west. Legendary bands took the stage in Warsaw and Jarocin, such as The Rolling Stones, who played two concerts in April 1967 at the Palace of Culture's Congressional Hall - an event that became fixed in the collective musical memory for many decades following.
Political Dress is a film that shows the importance of colours and home-made clothes serving as personal weapons against an oppressive political regime. By not succumbing to the prevailing censorship and pressure to blend in with the uniform crowd, as the movie shows, people helped form artistic trends that set the stage for contemporary Poland. The film features interviews with designer Barbara Hoff, Barbara Hulanicki, musician Tomasz Lipiński and painter Wilhelm Sasnal.
Co-produced by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, its director Paweł Potoroczyn comments, "One cannot bring to light the phenomenon of Polish freedom without talking about the free culture, which was the most significant and popular part of it. Some people were involved in printing underground publications and dropping leaflets, others were busy playing their homemade guitars and constructing homemade amplifiers. And all these people made history".
The screenings are coupled with a meeting with the director of Political Dress Judyta Fibiger and of Art of Freedom's Marek Kłosowicz. For details on the screening times see Festival website: Message to Man
Sources: culture.pl
Editor: Marta Jazowska