KATYN
(KATYN)



2007, 120 min., Poland
Polish with English subtitles

DIRECTION:
Andrzej Wajda
SCRIPT:
Andrzej Mularczyk, Andrzej Wajda
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Pawel Edelman
ART DIRECTION:
Magdalena Dipont
MUSIC:
Krzysztof Penderecki
EDITING:
Milenia Fiedler, Rafal Listopad
SOUND:
Jacek Hamela, Leszek Freud, Marek Wronko
PRODUCED BY:
Michal Kwiecinski
PRODUCER:
Akson Studio

CAST:
Andrzej Chyra (Lieutenant Jerzy), Maja Ostaszewska (Anna), Artur Zmijewski (Captain Andrzej), Danuta Stenka (Roza, General's Wife), Jan Englert (General), Magdalena Cielecka (Agnieszka), Agnieszka Glinska(Highschool Principal), Pawel Malaszynski (Lieutenant Piotr), Maja Komorowska (Mother of Lieutenant Jerzy)

As a result of Soviet Union invasion on Poland on September 17, 1939, 4500 of Polish officers and cadets were taken captive and imprisoned in P.O.W. camp in Kozielsk in USSR. By the order of Stalin, most of them were executed in Katyn near Smolensk in April and May 1940. All together about 22 thousand of officers, soldiers and policemen imprisoned in three camps: Kozielsk, Ostaszkowo, and Starobielsk were murdered. In 1943 Germans announced that they discovered the graves of murdered by NKVD in Katyn. Soviets denied and accused Germans of this crime. Soviets deliberately fabricated evidence to authenticate their lie. In communist Poland telling the truth about Katyn resulted in persecution by Secret Police. "Katyn" does not tell the story of Katyn massacre. The film tells about Katyn lie. Families of the victims had to live with awareness of not only a great harm, but also a cynical lie.

ANDRZEJ WAJDA
Born in 1926 in Suwalki. Studied Painting at the Fine Arts Academy in Krakow (1946-50), graduated from Film Directing at the Lodz Film School (1960). Head of X Film Studio (1972-1983), president of Polish Filmmakers' Association (1973-1983), director of Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw (1989-1990), senator of Republic of Poland (1989-1991). Member of Institut de France - Academie des Beaux-Arts, BAFTA, European Film Academy and American Film Academy. Recipient of hundreds of film awards and awards for lifetime achievement. In 2000 he received an Oscar statuette as the Honorary Award for five decades of extraordinary film direction. Awarded honorary degrees at numerous universities, including Washington, Bologna, Krakow, Warsaw, Moscow and Gdansk, as well as Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw, Lodz Film School and WGIK in Moscow. Honorary citizen of many Polish cities. Founder (2002) and lecturer of the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

2007 Katyn, nomination to the Academy Award in Foreign Language category '08;
2005 Man of Hope [in:] Solidarity, Solidarity (Czlowiek z nadziei [w:] Solidarnosc, Solidarnosc);
2002 Revenge (Zemsta);
1999 Pan Tadeusz;
1996 Miss Nobody (Panna Nikt);
1995 Holy Week (Wielki tydzien);
1988 Korczak;
1982 Danton;
1981 Man of Iron (Czlowiek z zelaza), Grand Prix in Cannes '81;
1979 The Orchestra Conductor (Dyrygent), FIPRESCI Award in San Sebastian '80;
1976 Man of Marble (Czlowiek z marmuru), FIPRESCI Award in Cannes '78;
1974 The Promised Land (Ziemia obiecana), Golden Hugo in Chicago '75;
1972 The Wedding (Wesele);
1970 Landscape After the Battle (Krajobraz po bitwie);
1968 Everything for Sale (Wszystko na sprzedaz);
1965 Popioly (Ashes);
1959 Lotna (Lotna);
1958 Ashes and Diamonds (Popiol i diament), FIPRESCI Award in Venice '59
1957 Canal (Kanal), Special Jury Award in Cannes '57;
1954 Generation (Pokolenie).

Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 7.30pm (PICKWICK THEATRE)
Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 7.30pm (BEVERLY ARTS CENTER)
Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 6.30pm (SKOKIE THEATRE)