Humour about the People's Republic
When Bielawski was embarking on the project, the well-known Polish documentary filmmaker Maciej Drygas warned him that he would spend the next couple of months buried in archives. Going through the Polish national TV archives, press archives, the FIFA archives and materials gathered by the historical centre Karta did in fact take several months. But the hard work paid off. Bielawski not only found TV coverage of the 1982 World Cup and recordings about Martial Law in Poland from the 80s, but in the end he constructed a portrait of 80s Poland. He showed the picturesque time of the "Solidarity carnival", the drama that was brought on by the imposition of Martial Law, and he gave viewers an idea of the greyness and the discreet charm of the era.
The creators of Mundial... have an ironic and humorous take on matters of national importance. There's footage of a TV show promoting physical exercises for people to imitate in front of their TV sets and music clips of communist hit songs. There's an interview with the Polish football legend Zbigniew Boniek, who talks about a meeting with communist party dignitaries which the football players attended right after returning from the World Cup and to which they arrived a bit inebriated after being at a big banquet. Bielawski's film brings life to the archival footage.
Heroic documentary
Mundial: The Highest Stakes is a meticulously put together reconstruction of facts that are woven together through a lively narration. Far from being a typical documentary, the film draws on pop culture icons and a variety of styles. Animation techniques awaken dusty old photographs, and comic strips (the work of Janusz Ordon) give a new perspective on the fate of political prisoners. Instead of being a congratulatory scroll for the victims of the system, it's a story about heroes: those who fought on green football pitches and those who faced the communists head on.
The film's emotional strength also lies in the hands of the score's composer - Antoni Komasa, considered one of the most promising young score composers in Poland. Komasa finds the right balance between underlining significant moments without making things too melodramatic. He first revealed his talent in Agnieszka Holland's HBO miniseries Burning Bush.
Although, at times, Bielawski seems to have made a personal choice in concentrating more on football fields than prisons with incarcerated activists, all in all, the film's humour and excitement makes up for this penchant. Such a mature and courageous film can hardly be called a debut.
In 2013, Mundial: The Highest Stakes received a special mention at the Planete+ Doc festival. One of the co-producers of the film is the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
For more information see the documentary’s official website: www.mundial82.pl
- Mundial: The Highest Stakes / Mundial. Gra o wszystko. Script and directing: Michał Bielawski, cinematography: Petro Aleksowski, Tomasz Suski. Music: Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz. Sound: Damian Kostrzewa, Paweł Nabiałek. Editing: Grzegorz Mazur. Graphic design: Janusz Ordon. 3D animation: Grzegorz Mazur. Digital photography editing: Aleksander Dembowski. Production: Unlimited Film Operations. Poland 2013
Author: Bartosz Staszczyszyn, translator: Mai Jones Jeromski 23/05/2014