'I've counted that I’ve lived around 600 thousand hours and Wajda picked just two. I had some doubts, obviously', said Wałęsa.
He admitted that initially the film slightly annoyed him, but in the end, he decided not to interfere with Wajda’s work.
Wałęsa added that his life was much fuller than what the picture shows.
“There were romantic as well as criminal moments – I understand the director had to pick some of those.”
Wałęsa noted that the film character didn’t quite resemble him, but he had already come to terms with it.
Polish films in Karlovy Vary
Wałęsa. Man of Hope was very warmly received by the audience – Andrzej Wajda’s film received a few minutes of applause after the screening.
The film is one of the six Polish titles included in the programme for the 49th International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary.
The East of the West section, which presents debuts and second films from directors from Central and Eastern Europe, features Kebab and Horoscope by Grzegorz Jaroszuk.
The film tells a story of a group of individuals employed in a bankrupt carpet shop. As the owner makes his mind up to save the business, the staff have to face Kebab and Horoscope, two swindlers who pretend to be marketing specialists.
Also, Paweł Pawlikowski’s Ida will be screened within the festival’s Horizons section, which features numerous pictures which have won international prizes. Ida is a story of Polish identity that formed on the junction between the Holocaust and Stalinism.
By blending some characteristics of a road movie with a mystical story of identity, the director depicts the story of an orphan brought up in a convent, who one day decides to become a nun.
Before she takes her vows, she has to meet her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza) - the only living member of her family – who was a Stalin-era judge responsible for political trials.
Shorts in the contest
The Fresh Selection – The Promising Six section includes 2 Polish films in its programme. The audience will watch Killing Auntie by Mateusz Głowacki and The Swedish Job by Paweł Ziemilski.
The Another View section, which focuses on works experimenting with form and content, includes The Promise by Anna Kazejak – a psychological drama about teenage love.
Sources: PISF, PAP, own materials; edited by BS.
Translated by: Kasia Dolato