On 11th November, the day of the ship's arrival in Osaka, a number of attractions for visitors have been planned, ranging from a parade and a guided tour around the ship to workshops for children. The visit of the frigate in Japan will be accompanied by a cultural programme consisting of two special events held at the Knowledge Capital – a space providing intellectual entertainment for children and adults, located in the very heart of the city.
The first of the projects is dedicated to Bronisław Piłsudski (1866-1918), the elder brother of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, an exile and ethnographer. He conducted a research on the indigenous people of Sakhalin and Hokkaido and in his scientific works preserved the moribund languages of the Oroks, Nivkhs, and above all, the Ainu. The screening of the documentary Piłsudski Bronisław: an Exile, an Ethnographer, a Hero (2017) directed by Waldemar Czechowski will take place on 14th November at 6:00 pm at the Active Lab at the Knowledge Capital. The film was shot in Japan, Poland and Lithuania, and is based on archival materials from Russia, France and Great Britain. The screening will be followed by a meeting with the film's director and a short lecture. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Polish Institute in Tokyo.
The Knowledge Capital will also host the project MS Piłsudski – The Hidden Story, created by the Koncept Kultura Foundation. It is a VR show telling the story of Poland regaining independence after 123 years of foreign domination, centred around the most beautiful Polish ocean liner MS Piłsudski. The audience will be invited on a virtual cruise aboard the luxurious ship dubbed the ‘Polish Titanic’. The ocean liner was designed as a ‘floating embassy of Polish culture’ – her entire interior was designed by famous Polish artists and architects. In 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, MS Piłsudski sank after striking a mine. Her wreck rests at the bottom of the North Sea off Yorkshire. Screenings will be held on 13th November – 15th November from 12:00 to 8:00 pm and on 16th November from 12:00 to 6:00 pm.
The project is co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute operating under the Culture.pl brand as part of POLSKA 100, the international cultural programme accompanying the centenary of Poland regaining independence.
Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the multi-annual programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2022.
Source: press release, compiled & translated by AW, Nov 2018