Communist Poland - Land of Absurdity: Shorts Programme 3

In communism many things were turned upside down - it was a “revolutionary” system. The consequences of this were unpleasant and sometimes even tragic for the citizens of communist Poland. It’s quite difficult to live in a topsy-turvy world where basic human values become politically suspect and economic laws are replaced by ideological dogma. However, the absurdity of this system also had its comic dimension, which is strongly visible in the art of Polish filmmakers.

A five-day programme of shorts and features, this season brings together different genres, all describing existence under “real socialism”. Ranging from documentary realism to wild fantasy and black humour to poetic lyricism, the films collected in this programme don’t just entertain but also present some important lessons of European history.

Mateusz Werner, film programme curator.

The season will launch on Sun 10 May with an introductory talk about the films, by the curator of the collection, Mateusz Werner. This event is being organised by the British Council and QFT as part of the British Council’s 75th anniversary celebrations. The British Council is the UK’s international
organisation for educational and cultural relations which builds engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

List of shorts
CAGES 7’
THE OFFICE 5’
THERE AND BACK 10’
THE LEAP 5’
EVERYONE KNOWS WHO’S BEHIND WHO 6’
I AM A MAN 16’
THE ORANGE ALTERNATIVE 24’