Jadwiga Zajiček

Mother Teresa once said, "If you know how to look, you will find Calcutta all over the world." Kamieńska found those for whom Calcutta was in Poland. The film about the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity proved to be a turning point in her artistic career. She took up the theme of faith, which had been absent from her work until then, and which would henceforth recur in her subsequent documentaries. In Missionaries of Charity, Kamieńska observes the work and prayer of young nuns. The complementary nature of "ora et labora" in their lives is reflected in the structure of the film. We alternate between places where the sisters help people in need and Mass with Mother Teresa.

Article 66 of the 1952 Polish Constitution guaranteed women equal rights, including work, equal pay, and childcare. Notable women held various roles, and the state supported women before and after childbirth with nurseries and kindergartens. The film, made in the socialist realist style, praised the socialist system and showed historical optimism but also highlighted the burden of balancing work and unpaid housework. Notably, the film was created by women.

We learn the story of a married couple who lose their farm due to debt. The local authorities decide to accommodate a new resident with them. "I can't accept this. It's as if they murdered me, tore me apart, ripped out my heart," says the main character, who is forced to watch as the new tenant systematically destroys her life's work.

Mother Teresa once said, "If you know how to look, you will find Calcutta all over the world." Kamieńska found those for whom Calcutta was in Poland. The film about the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity proved to be a turning point in her artistic career. She took up the theme of faith, which had been absent from her work until then, and which would henceforth recur in her subsequent documentaries. In Missionaries of Charity, Kamieńska observes the work and prayer of young nuns. The complementary nature of "ora et labora" in their lives is reflected in the structure of the film. We alternate between places where the sisters help people in need and Mass with Mother Teresa.

Article 66 of the 1952 Polish Constitution guaranteed women equal rights, including work, equal pay, and childcare. Notable women held various roles, and the state supported women before and after childbirth with nurseries and kindergartens. The film, made in the socialist realist style, praised the socialist system and showed historical optimism but also highlighted the burden of balancing work and unpaid housework. Notably, the film was created by women.

We learn the story of a married couple who lose their farm due to debt. The local authorities decide to accommodate a new resident with them. "I can't accept this. It's as if they murdered me, tore me apart, ripped out my heart," says the main character, who is forced to watch as the new tenant systematically destroys her life's work.