The retrospective, titled The Waking Dreams of Wojciech Has, will be held from 15th to 27th October as a part of BAMcinématek. The project presents classic films, premieres, and retrospectives with appearances by filmmakers and critics.
The comprehensive Has retrospective will include 14 films, some of them newly restored, e.g. The Hourglass Sanatorium, The Saragossa Manuscript and How to Be Loved, and will be introduced by film critics Annette Insdorf and Andrzej Krakowski. The organisers say:
In the metaphysical worlds Has conjures, time is a subjective experience, which warps and bends to the rhythms of the subconscious. That such personal, visionary films were made under the restrictions of Communism makes them all the more remarkable.
Wojciech Jerzy Has (1925-2000)
Wojciech Jerzy Has was a Polish film director and screenwriter, and is often referred to as a visionary of Polish cinema. Critics note that he created a body of work that was surprisingly cohesive in its poetics, as if the director were recounting the same tale in various ways. In practically every film, he endeavoured to create his own world. The adventures of his protagonists, their problems and the storylines in which they become embroiled were always of secondary importance compared to the experience of the visual environment in which the action takes place. These worlds are like journeys through the labyrinth of time with their own particular narrative rhythm, with Has' use of arrays of strange objects creating a unique visual universe. Has avoided political or commercial overtones in his work, which often alienated him from the propaganda-driven industry. Although he produced his most important films at the height of the famed Polish School, his films were stylistically different and manifested a unique poetic vision.
BAM
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts centre established over 150 years ago and located in New York. It engages both local and global communities in exploring and experiencing art made by emerging artists and modern masters. Its world-renowned program includes theatre, dance, music, opera and film.
Wojciech Jerzy Has Film Retrospective
15th to 27th October 2015
BAM, New York
Jay Sharp Building
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Sources: BAM, Polish Cultural Institute in New York, Culture.pl, compiled by ND, Sept 2015