Free entry
Andrzej Wajda Retrospective
From March 24–26, our cinema will host a screening series dedicated to Andrzej Wajda — the renowned Polish theater and film director and one of the founders of the Polish Film School.
Like many great artists, Wajda could not remain a bystander to politics. His films reflected the political and social revolutions of his homeland, simultaneously creating and debunking myths. Wajda’s cinematic visual language has influenced generations of directors worldwide.
March 24, 18:30
"Afterimage" (Powidoki)
Wajda’s final directorial work, completed just months before his death. It tells the life story of painter and art theorist Władysław Strzemiński, a leader of the Polish avant-garde during the interwar years. A constructivist who resisted the socialist system, Strzemiński found himself unable to work. After returning home from World War I, he never stopped painting or teaching, yet the system denied him the very possibility of existence.
March 25, 18:30
"Ashes and Diamonds" (Popiół i diament)
Widely considered one of the most significant achievements of the Polish Film School. The film takes place on May 8, 1945 — the last day of the war and the first day of peace. Maciek Chełmicki, a young soldier of the Polish underground, is ordered to assassinate a communist leader. A tragic coincidence leads to the death of innocent bystanders. Wajda paints a portrait of Polish society in the post-war years, specifically the sense of loss felt by the youth of that era.
March 26, 18:30
"Katyń"
Considered one of Wajda’s finest works, Katyń tells the story of Polish officers executed by the NKVD in the Katyń forest during World War II. It is a film about the women who waited in vain for their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. It exposes the treachery of the communist regime that ordered the fallen to be forgotten and depicts the struggle for memory and truth.
Language: Films will be screened in Polish with Ukrainian subtitles (except for Katyń, which is dubbed in Ukrainian).
Admission is free. Please register in advance to attend the screenings.
The screenings are held in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Kyiv.
