Władysław Ślesicki

Directing

Władysław Ślesicki

Born — Died

1927-01-05 — 2008-12-09

Place of birth

Warsaw, Poland

Known for

Directing

Credits

31 titles

Władysław Ślesicki was a Polish film director and screenwriter, recognized for his contributions to both documentary and feature films. During World War II, he was a member of the Home Army and participated in the Warsaw Uprising. After the war, Ślesicki studied history at the University of Warsaw and later graduated from the National Film School in Łódź. His notable documentaries include Płyną tratwy (The Rafts Sail On, 1962) and Rodzina człowiecza (Family of Man, 1966), which offer insightful portrayals of human experiences. In feature filmmaking, he is best known for directing W pustyni i w puszczy (In Desert and Wilderness, 1973), an adaptation of Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel. Ślesicki…

Known for

The Rafts Sail On poster
7.0

The movie depicts the story of a young Mazurian boy named Mietek, who crosses the line between childhood and adulthood . He stands in close contact with nature; he decoys birds and feeds them, he catches fish. But above all he is attracted to the work of the woodcutters. He watches them as they fell the trees and he helps them load the timber onto rafts that float down the river and through the sluice-gates. Finally, he joins the raftsmen and when he receives his first salary and gives a girl his first bashful look, the time has come for him to say goodbye to his childhood.

The Rafts Sail On

1962

Among Men poster
6.0

Impressionistic study of the fate of a stray dog, trying to avoid the results of human indifference and cruelty.

Among Men

1960

...It's a Long Way Ahead... poster
6.0

Following the defeat of the Warsaw Uprising, brothers Piotr and Wojtek escape from a labour camp in Germany and set out on a perilous journey back to Warsaw, hoping to find their parents. Alone in unfamiliar territory, they must rely on their own resourcefulness and learn to trust no one as they struggle to make their way home.

...It's a Long Way Ahead...

1980

Where the Devil Says Goodnight poster
8.0

A documentary depicting life in Targówek, a deprived and crime-affected district of postwar Warsaw, where reconstruction and cultural development projects have failed to materialize.

Where the Devil Says Goodnight

1956

The Mountain poster
10.0

The viewers visit a school located high in the Tatra mountains, in the village of Zaczerczyk. There are only few students there. Teachers arrive at the place every day, including the film's protagonist, a young woman.

The Mountain

1964

In Desert and Wilderness poster
7.5

Fourteen year old Polish boy Stas Tarkowski and eight year old Nel Rawlison from England are kidnapped as the hostages by Arabic fanatics and taken to their religion leader. Then they manage to escape and try to return to their fathers. Children have a lot of dangerous adventures, meet two Black kids; Kali and Mea, who also help them, make a friendship with an elephant and help one Black's tribe.

In Desert and Wilderness

1973

Behind the camera

The Rafts Sail On poster
7.0

The movie depicts the story of a young Mazurian boy named Mietek, who crosses the line between childhood and adulthood . He stands in close contact with nature; he decoys birds and feeds them, he catches fish. But above all he is attracted to the work of the woodcutters. He watches them as they fell the trees and he helps them load the timber onto rafts that float down the river and through the sluice-gates. Finally, he joins the raftsmen and when he receives his first salary and gives a girl his first bashful look, the time has come for him to say goodbye to his childhood.

The Rafts Sail On

1962

Among Men poster
6.0

Impressionistic study of the fate of a stray dog, trying to avoid the results of human indifference and cruelty.

Among Men

1960

...It's a Long Way Ahead... poster
6.0

Following the defeat of the Warsaw Uprising, brothers Piotr and Wojtek escape from a labour camp in Germany and set out on a perilous journey back to Warsaw, hoping to find their parents. Alone in unfamiliar territory, they must rely on their own resourcefulness and learn to trust no one as they struggle to make their way home.

...It's a Long Way Ahead...

1980

...It's a Long Way Ahead... poster
6.0

Following the defeat of the Warsaw Uprising, brothers Piotr and Wojtek escape from a labour camp in Germany and set out on a perilous journey back to Warsaw, hoping to find their parents. Alone in unfamiliar territory, they must rely on their own resourcefulness and learn to trust no one as they struggle to make their way home.

...It's a Long Way Ahead...

1980

Where the Devil Says Goodnight poster
8.0

A documentary depicting life in Targówek, a deprived and crime-affected district of postwar Warsaw, where reconstruction and cultural development projects have failed to materialize.

Where the Devil Says Goodnight

1956

Where the Devil Says Goodnight poster
8.0

A documentary depicting life in Targówek, a deprived and crime-affected district of postwar Warsaw, where reconstruction and cultural development projects have failed to materialize.

Where the Devil Says Goodnight

1956

The Mountain poster
10.0

The viewers visit a school located high in the Tatra mountains, in the village of Zaczerczyk. There are only few students there. Teachers arrive at the place every day, including the film's protagonist, a young woman.

The Mountain

1964

In Desert and Wilderness poster
7.5

Fourteen year old Polish boy Stas Tarkowski and eight year old Nel Rawlison from England are kidnapped as the hostages by Arabic fanatics and taken to their religion leader. Then they manage to escape and try to return to their fathers. Children have a lot of dangerous adventures, meet two Black kids; Kali and Mea, who also help them, make a friendship with an elephant and help one Black's tribe.

In Desert and Wilderness

1973

In Desert and Wilderness poster
7.5

Fourteen year old Polish boy Stas Tarkowski and eight year old Nel Rawlison from England are kidnapped as the hostages by Arabic fanatics and taken to their religion leader. Then they manage to escape and try to return to their fathers. Children have a lot of dangerous adventures, meet two Black kids; Kali and Mea, who also help them, make a friendship with an elephant and help one Black's tribe.

In Desert and Wilderness

1973

A Day Without Sunshine poster
NR

A lonely man wanders the streets of contemporary Warsaw. He reads the daily press, observes women in a beauty salon and follows the action on a film set. In each of the places he is just an observer, not a protagonist.

A Day Without Sunshine

1959

A Day Without Sunshine poster
NR

A lonely man wanders the streets of contemporary Warsaw. He reads the daily press, observes women in a beauty salon and follows the action on a film set. In each of the places he is just an observer, not a protagonist.

A Day Without Sunshine

1959

Śpiewy po rosie poster
7.5

A portrait of a small, contemporary village, shaken by the return of one of its residents from prison. Zdzich returns from prison to a small village on the edge of the Augustów Primeval Forest. He was accused of shooting a militiaman and, despite the clear bias of the witnesses, he was convicted. Now the locals fear that his return will bring revenge for the false accusations. Zdzich hides in the forest. One day, he meets Romanek, the son of Jadźka, whose honor he once defended in a fight with others. Romanek cannot answer who his father is. Their meetings become more frequent and turn into friendship. Zdzich decides to come out of hiding and makes a show of attending church. He proposes to Jadźka and is accepted. He also explains the circumstances of his arrest to the locals. The next day, the forester is killed by a mysterious bullet. Zdzich was the last person seen with him. This causes unrest in the village.

Śpiewy po rosie

1982

People of the Vacant Area poster
7.0

The film belongs to the so-called Black Polish documentary series about a group of young people from the Praga district. The authors' intention was to draw attention to the problems inherent in society.

People of the Vacant Area

1957

People of the Vacant Area poster
7.0

The film belongs to the so-called Black Polish documentary series about a group of young people from the Praga district. The authors' intention was to draw attention to the problems inherent in society.

People of the Vacant Area

1957

No artwork available
9.0

A documentary about the hard work of the workers in the reconstruction of the Bieszczady road.

The Story of the Road

1958

No artwork available
4.5

A documentary impression by Władysław Ślesicki showing the life of women - the joys and sorrows of motherhood, the hardships of everyday life. The individual sequences, made using the observation method, form a mosaic portrait of a mother.

Days Months Years

1966

No artwork available
9.0

The meeting of two young people on the streets at night.

A Moment of Silence

1965

No artwork available
8.0

Documentary about kids in summer camp.

A Team with Forest Spirit

1957

Shifting Sands poster
10.0

A 12-year-old boy and his father embark on a fishing trip where the boy hopes to get to know his father better. When a young woman leaves her boyfriend after a quarrel, the father invites her along on the trip. The boy's hopes of a father-and-son retreat are shattered when it becomes obvious dad is after more than fish.

Shifting Sands

1969

Shifting Sands poster
10.0

A 12-year-old boy and his father embark on a fishing trip where the boy hopes to get to know his father better. When a young woman leaves her boyfriend after a quarrel, the father invites her along on the trip. The boy's hopes of a father-and-son retreat are shattered when it becomes obvious dad is after more than fish.

Shifting Sands

1969

No artwork available
8.0

Portrait of a small town.

A Walk in Bieszczady

1958

No artwork available
9.0

Portrait of a small town.

Portrait of a Small Town

1961

Before the Leaves Fall... poster
8.0

The first Polish documentary about the life of Romani people. The film crew accompanied a tabor of the small Roma community during their journey from place to place. Their customs, relationships and cultural elements were captured on film. The individual scenes are not overcolored or enriched with any kind of romanticism, which was often presented in Polish literature concerning this community.

Before the Leaves Fall...

1964

Before the Leaves Fall... poster
8.0

The first Polish documentary about the life of Romani people. The film crew accompanied a tabor of the small Roma community during their journey from place to place. Their customs, relationships and cultural elements were captured on film. The individual scenes are not overcolored or enriched with any kind of romanticism, which was often presented in Polish literature concerning this community.

Before the Leaves Fall...

1964

No artwork available
NR

Portrait of the hard lives of Polish fishermen.

People and Fish

1962

No artwork available
NR

Sugar mill in Morocco.

Sugar Mill in Morocco

1964

No artwork available
7.2

Documentary about a daily routine of a rural Polish family.

Family of Man

1966

No artwork available
NR

Polish engineers help set up a beet sugar factory in Morocco.

The Twenty-First

1964

No artwork available
9.0

Record of a dam construction in a remote area of Poland.

Energy

1967

Sloping Fields poster
NR

Scenes of a village wedding and the hard lives of farmers in a remote mountainous region of Poland.

Sloping Fields

1970

No artwork available
9.0

Documentary about Roma life.

The Gypsy Camp

1954