Martin Scorsese Presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema

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Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema is a 21-film series released by Milestone in partnership with Propaganda Foundation, DI Factory, CRF, KinoRP and The Film Foundation. The series features brand-new restorations of classic works from some of Poland's most accomplished and lauded filmmakers, spanning the period from 1957--1987. Curated by Mr. Scorsese, the series premieres at the Film Society, February 5-16, and will travel to 30 cities throughout North America this year. Each film will be presented in brilliantly re-mastered and newly subtitled DCPs.
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"Poland has long been home to one of the richest national cinemas, and the period surveyed in this program was an especially fertile one," said Dennis Lim, the Film Society's Director of Cinematheque Programming. "We are proud to be partnering with the Film Foundation and Milestone to launch this major national tour. Handpicked by Martin Scorsese, this is an extraordinary selection of films, ranging from classics to rarities, all worthy of discovery and re-discovery."
Highlights include the Andrzej Wajda's Palme d'Or winner and Academy Award-nominee MAN OF IRON (1981) about the workers' strike in Gdańsk that led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Krzysztof Zanussi's CAMOUFLAGE (1976), a comic story of a contentious relationship between a young linguist and an associate professor; Alexander Ford's BLACK CROSS (1960), a blockbuster (and the most-viewed Polish film in history) set against a backdrop of medieval battles; Wojciech Has's mystical film adaptation of THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT (1964), a prize-winner at the Edinburgh and San Sebastian film festivals; Andrzej Munk's EROICA (1957), a look at the contrast in lives between that of a street-wise bon-vivant and those of righteous Polish officers incarcerated in a German camp during WWII; and Zanussi's 70s philosophical essay on film incorporating animation, experimental techniques and documentary footage, THE ILLUMINATION (1972).
Other notable films include Jerzy Kawalerowicz's MOTHER JOAN OF THE ANGELS (1960), NIGHT TRAIN (1959), PHARAOH (1965), Krzysztof Kieslowski's BLIND CHANCE (1981) and A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (1987), Wajda's ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958), INNOCENT SORCERERS (1960), THE PROMISED LAND (1974) and THE WEDDING (1972), and Zanussi's THE CONSTANT FACTOR (1980).
The genesis of Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema began in December 2011 when Scorsese received an honorary doctoral degree from The Polish National Film, Television, and Theatre School in Łódź, Poland. While there Scorsese met with the Polish organizer of the series, Jędrzej Sabliński-a digital restoration expert now with DI Factory, which provides data processing to motion picture studios and filmmakers. They both discussed the progress of digital film restoration in Poland and how The Film Foundation could help. In the months following his visit, the idea of a North American tour of a series of restored Polish classics came together, with 21 titles selected by Scorsese from the list of digitally restored films.