Tadeusz Makarczyński

The centennial of Frederic Chopin’s death was celebrated in 1949. The International Chopin Year was held under the auspice of UNESCO. Tadeusz Makarczyński’s film records renditions of Chopin’s mazurkas by entrants of the 4th Chopin International Piano Competition held in Warsaw in 1949. You can hear the performances of representatives from America and different countries in Europe: Halina Czerny-Stefańska and Bella Davidovich of the Soviet Union, the ex aequo winners of the 1st Prize; Carlos Rivero of Mexico, Yevgeniy Malinin of the Soviet Union, and Mireille Auxietre of France. Mazurkas are the essence of Chopin’s music and a symbol of Polishness; they are pieces which integrate young pianists from all over the world into one big “Chopin family”.

A group of children are entertained by a seemingly harmless beachside magician who eventually lures them into playing with real weapons.

A collective, moving self-portrait of Polish painters of the turn of the century, composed of paintings presented at the exhibition "Symbolism in Polish art" at the National Museum in Warsaw in 1985.

The protagonist of this documentary is Gdańsk and its history. The story begins on the shore of the Baltic Sea, in a Pomeranian town on the European Amber Road. It ends in the contemporary Gdańsk Shipyard.

The ‘Żywe kamienie’ (meaning living stones) from the title are architectural monuments that convey the history of past generations. In this respect, Kraków is a special city - it was not only the royal capital of Poland, but also a city of Jews.

A film suite divided into three parts showing successively the defeat of Warsaw, the gradual awakening of the capital and the first post-war Warsaw spring. The film has no commentary, only music, whose mood and rhythm are closely related to the character of the presented images.

The centennial of Frederic Chopin’s death was celebrated in 1949. The International Chopin Year was held under the auspice of UNESCO. Tadeusz Makarczyński’s film records renditions of Chopin’s mazurkas by entrants of the 4th Chopin International Piano Competition held in Warsaw in 1949. You can hear the performances of representatives from America and different countries in Europe: Halina Czerny-Stefańska and Bella Davidovich of the Soviet Union, the ex aequo winners of the 1st Prize; Carlos Rivero of Mexico, Yevgeniy Malinin of the Soviet Union, and Mireille Auxietre of France. Mazurkas are the essence of Chopin’s music and a symbol of Polishness; they are pieces which integrate young pianists from all over the world into one big “Chopin family”.

A group of children are entertained by a seemingly harmless beachside magician who eventually lures them into playing with real weapons.

A collective, moving self-portrait of Polish painters of the turn of the century, composed of paintings presented at the exhibition "Symbolism in Polish art" at the National Museum in Warsaw in 1985.

A collective, moving self-portrait of Polish painters of the turn of the century, composed of paintings presented at the exhibition "Symbolism in Polish art" at the National Museum in Warsaw in 1985.

The protagonist of this documentary is Gdańsk and its history. The story begins on the shore of the Baltic Sea, in a Pomeranian town on the European Amber Road. It ends in the contemporary Gdańsk Shipyard.

The protagonist of this documentary is Gdańsk and its history. The story begins on the shore of the Baltic Sea, in a Pomeranian town on the European Amber Road. It ends in the contemporary Gdańsk Shipyard.

The ‘Żywe kamienie’ (meaning living stones) from the title are architectural monuments that convey the history of past generations. In this respect, Kraków is a special city - it was not only the royal capital of Poland, but also a city of Jews.

A film suite divided into three parts showing successively the defeat of Warsaw, the gradual awakening of the capital and the first post-war Warsaw spring. The film has no commentary, only music, whose mood and rhythm are closely related to the character of the presented images.

A film suite divided into three parts showing successively the defeat of Warsaw, the gradual awakening of the capital and the first post-war Warsaw spring. The film has no commentary, only music, whose mood and rhythm are closely related to the character of the presented images.

The documentary promotes the outdoor attractions and folklore of the village of Szlebark, located in the Podhale Valley.

The documentary promotes the outdoor attractions and folklore of the village of Szlebark, located in the Podhale Valley.

A propaganda piece of reportage from the first Polish Nationwide Art Exhibition that was held in the National Museum in Warsaw in 1950. Makarczynski’s film is a typical example of a socialist realism documentary, realized in accordance with the instructions that had been presented to the filmmakers during the Wisla 1949 summit.

A propaganda piece of reportage from the first Polish Nationwide Art Exhibition that was held in the National Museum in Warsaw in 1950. Makarczynski’s film is a typical example of a socialist realism documentary, realized in accordance with the instructions that had been presented to the filmmakers during the Wisla 1949 summit.

The documentary shows the work of journalists and the importance of the press in building socialism. It is an exemplary implementation of the socialist-realist convention imposed on Polish cinema in 1949, in which all elements of the film structure were subordinated to the persuasive function.

A walk around Warsaw's Praga district.

A walk around Warsaw's Praga district.

Lionel Rogosin's plea for humanity and against war and fascism. For two years, Rogosin traveled to twelve countries to collect footage of war atrocities from their archives. He interspersed these harrowing images with scenes of a London cocktail party's mundane chatter. Good Times, Wonderful Times was released in 1964 at the height of the Vietnam War, and became one of the great anti-war films of the era.

A fairy tale film based on an ancient legend about the founding of Warsaw and the good fairy Sirene of the Mazovian forests, who became the patron saint of the city.

A fairy tale film based on an ancient legend about the founding of Warsaw and the good fairy Sirene of the Mazovian forests, who became the patron saint of the city.

A treasure of Polish culture. A concert film that presents the performance of Mazowsze Song and Dance Ensemble recorded at its headquarters – the palace in Karolina (a part of the village of Otrębusy near Warsaw). The repertoire includes: Bandoska, Kukułeczka, Pod borem and dances such as: oberek, olender.

A treasure of Polish culture. A concert film that presents the performance of Mazowsze Song and Dance Ensemble recorded at its headquarters – the palace in Karolina (a part of the village of Otrębusy near Warsaw). The repertoire includes: Bandoska, Kukułeczka, Pod borem and dances such as: oberek, olender.

A reconstruction of the events of the Warsaw Uprising, based on photographs taken over a period of two months by photojournalist Sylwester Braun, known as "Kris."

A visit in the painting studio of Teofil Ociepka, a Silesian naive painter. The raw landscape of Silesia contrasts with the colorful, fantastic world of his imagination.

A visit in the painting studio of Teofil Ociepka, a Silesian naive painter. The raw landscape of Silesia contrasts with the colorful, fantastic world of his imagination.

A documentary focused on the legendary Różycki bazaar in Praga. In archival photos and recordings, we see the predecessor of the Różycki bazaar, the pre-war Kercelak. It changes into the post-war Różycki almost imperceptibly. The melody of market talks is enhanced by the sound of an accordion, played by the Gypsy Orchestra of the Hućko brothers. A stunning wealth of goods: from carrier pigeons to laying hens and stuffed ornamental birds. On the wall, depending on your taste, oil paintings in golden frames or embroidered tapestries. Life problems? A horoscope is the answer. Are you sick? There is a healer here. Hunger? We’ve got the famous Praga tripe and hot dumplings with some lard in a jar.

Polish Film Chronicle was famous for its style, resembling a report, and for its witty commentaries. This special edition is about dogs and the voiceover was recorded by Kazimierz Rudzki.

Łopuszna is located on the Dunajec River, 100 km south of Cracow. It is the kingdom of trout and salmon, one of the greatest tourist attractions of Podhale. In addition to that, it has been the home of Polish highlanders for centuries.

Łopuszna is located on the Dunajec River, 100 km south of Cracow. It is the kingdom of trout and salmon, one of the greatest tourist attractions of Podhale. In addition to that, it has been the home of Polish highlanders for centuries.

This documentary about St. Mary's Altar takes the viewer back to the 15th century, when Wit Stwosz, a master of woodcarving, came to Poland from Nuremberg. At the request of the City Council, he created an altar that is unmatched not only in Kraków.

As a sixteen-year-old student, Frederic Chopin spent his vacation in the Lower Silesia health resort of Duszniki. Its theatre saw the first public concert of the young composer and pianist. On the centennial of the event in 1946, a two-day Piano Festival was organized in Duszniki, which spawned a cyclic cultural event — the local Chopin Festival. It is the oldest music festival in Poland. Tadeusz Makarczyński's film shows beautiful landscapes of the Duszniki environs and the still extant Zdrojowy Theater. The musical background is Chopin's pieces, performed by the festival's participants: Zofia Rabcewiczowa and Henryk Sztompka.

In 1946, the 1st National Competition of Trade Union Member Clubs was held. Almost one thousand amateur teams took part in it, bringing together approximately 40,000 workers, women and men. The reportage was created during the performance at the Polish Theater in Warsaw.

A record of the first days of the so-called ‘Polska Lubelska’. The camera focused on life in Lublin and other Polish pieces of land conquered in 1944 as a result of the July offensive of the Polish and Red Army. This documentary was made from the perspective of the thirtieth anniversary of People's Poland.

A record of the first days of the so-called ‘Polska Lubelska’. The camera focused on life in Lublin and other Polish pieces of land conquered in 1944 as a result of the July offensive of the Polish and Red Army. This documentary was made from the perspective of the thirtieth anniversary of People's Poland.

Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going? This experimental found footage film outlines the history of humanity in a few minutes. It is focused on the central theme of the 20th century - the Holocaust and the atomic bomb.

In photos and films, Praga resembles a small town rather than a district of Warsaw. One may see service facilities, sometimes only signboards and few craftsmen doing jobs becoming a thing of the past. Grinders, engravers, tailors, blacksmiths, saddlers rarely meet their customers. The symbol of the passing era is a cabman portrayed against high and modern blocks of flats. In the backyards of Praga, mangles are still visible. It is a thing of women, similarly to beauty and hairdressing salons. A lighthouse keeper still lights gas lamps, but the bygone world slowly dies out.

A documentary resembling a moving photo album that describes Warsaw's Praga district, which has its own urban legend. The least damaged area during the Second World War, its tenements and wooden houses from the turn of the century remained intact. Praga has its representative part in the Art Nouveau Śródmieście district. Its small-town soul could be seen at the back of the streets, the suburban part may be noticed on the outskirts of the city. Apparently, one could be born and die without leaving the surrounding buildings, Praga satisfied all the needs of the inhabitants. The voiceover mocks the artistic aspirations of "better people" preserved in the facades of the tenements. It appreciates the architecture of the wooden houses, the workshops of old crafters. Through the architecture, the story of the district is told.