Polish films and series – a look into society
My students know that I like local crime novels, and I like to use them in my lessons. I see crime novels and series as stories about contemporary society: its preferences, habits, rituals and taboos. In addition, crime novels are sometimes quite cleverly written or filmed and contain dialogue that captures the natural way people communicate.
This is also the case with the series Ultraviolet , which was directed by Jan Komasa. Set in the present, the story about amateur detectives who solve tricky criminal cases with the help of the internet and modern technology is available on Netflix.
The second interesting offer that can be found in the same place is Rojst (English title Im Sumpf). The series is set in a small Polish town in the 1980s. Two journalists have doubts about the way the local police are investigating the murder of a prostitute and a communist activist. Great roles by Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Seweryn and Piotr Fronczewski.
I don’t recommend the series 1983. The idea behind the plot is indeed interesting – after a terrorist attack in 1983, Poland becomes a police state and the Iron Curtain never falls – but the execution is dull, incoherent, and, colloquially speaking, hard to watch.
Now for something lighter (and shorter). I recommend the film The Art of Loving – the story of Michalina Wisłocka (also available on Netflix). It’s always worth watching a movie that portrays an interesting female character, especially since Polish cinema doesn’t often depict women. Wisłocka’s book has been a national bestseller for years, and now we have the chance to learn the story of its author, who was far ahead of her time.
And finally, something more well-known: The Łódź Film School has made 239 short films by its graduates available online, which you can watch at filmpolski.pl. In my next post, I’ll write about which of these films I recommend and why.
