Jerzy Kawalerowicz Film Festival

As the “Polish School” became the first post-World War II Eastern European films to have an impact on world cinema, Jerzy Kawalerowicz was already perceived as being the least obsessed by its great topics (the War and the Resistance), treating them rarely, and even then only tangentially, in his work. Instead, he chose to alternate between intimate chamber works, sweeping examinations of power politics, and adaptations of Polish literary classics set exclusively in ancient Egypt and Rome.

Kawalerowicz is one of the most outstanding Polish film directors. He made his first feature film in 1951, and soon gained recognition as the director of Cellulose (1953) and The Train (1959.) His Mother Joan of Angels (1960) won the Jury Prize at Cannes, and “Pharaoh” (1966) won an Oscar nomination. Of the mentioned movies, only Cellulose was not shown during the Kawalerowicz movie festival hosted by the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center. Other movies that were presented include Quo Vadis, Death of a President, and The Real End of the Great War.

During his stay in Washington D.C., Kawalerowicz seemed delighted to meet and interact with audiences at events hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and by the AFI.