Promised Land
In his Oscar nominated film, Andrzej Wajda took to the screen with a novel by Władysław Reymont about the birth of the textile industry in 19th century Łódź. Three friends decide to open a factory and get rich fast. They come from different social backgrounds and ethnicities in this cosmopolitan city. The Polish engineer Karol Borowiecki, Moryc Welt, a Jew, and the German Max Baum, are all pulled into a web of love intrigues and power plays. Finishing their beloved investment does not however mean an end to their troubles. As the story evolves, the industrialized metropoly becomes the main protagonist, full of paradoxes and governed by its own rules. The filthy chimneys neighbour lavish palaces of factory owners, and wealth borders poverty. This hectic lifestyle is reflected in the directing and editing, as well as in the restless music composed by Wojciech Kilar. This film is one of the most vivid adaptations of Polish literature in the works of Andrzej Wajda.
About the director:
Andrzej Wajda (1926 – 2016) one of the most important artists of the Polish Film School, director of over 40 films, four of which were nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. In 2000 he won an Honorary Oscar for five decades of extraordinary film direction. He won countless awards at various festivals around Europe, in Cannes, Berlin, Venice. He made many adaptations of Polish literary classics, such as “Wesele” by Stanisław Wyspiański, “Pan Tadeusz” by Adam Mickiewicz or “Zemsta” by Aleksander Fredro. From his debut “Kanal” (1956) to his final work “Powidoki” (2017), he created very bold films, closely linked with Polish history, but at the same time, universal stories that became a benchmark for future generations of filmmakers.
Most important films:
- 1956 “Canal”
- 1958 “Ashes and Diamonds”
- 1972 “The Wedding”
- 1975 “The Promised Land”
- 1976 “Man of Marble”
- 1990 “Korczak”
- 2007 “Katyn”
- 2013 “Walesa. Man of Hope”
Author: Mikołaj Góralik
Translation to English: Katarzyna Matej
