The Kinoteka Polish Film Festival, organised by the Polish Cultural Institute in London, is touring the UK with a prestigious retrospective dedicated to the legendary director Andrzej Wajda. This special programme marks the centenary of the Academy Award-winning filmmaker's birth, celebrating a career that spanned six decades of politically engaged and artistically profound cinema.
From 8 to 25 April, Manchester's Home cinema will host this curated selection, offering audiences a rare opportunity to explore Wajda's extraordinary legacy. The line-up is spearheaded by the revered classic “Ashes and Diamonds”, a probing look at post-war Poland featuring an iconic performance by Zbigniew Cybulski. Other highlights include the Palme d'Or-winning “Man of Iron” and its predecessor “Man of Marble”, both of which offer thought-provoking examinations of individual moral responsibility against oppressive ideologies. The festival also showcases Wajda's versatility through the French New Wave-inspired “Innocent Sorcerers” and the lyrical, poetic meditation on time found in “The Maids of Wilko”.
This retrospective provides a comprehensive analysis of Wajda's work, from his early years under communism to his influential role during the Solidarność movement. You can find out more and book tickets here.