Second Run presents Andrzej Wajda’s renowned ‘War Trilogy’ – the three films that first brought Wajda international attention and kickstarted the ‘Polish film school’ movement.

They are: A Generation (Pokolenie, 1955), Kanał (1957), and Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i Diament, 1958).

These celebrated films are presented from stunning new 2K restorations, with A Generation being released for the first time ever on Blu-ray.

Each of these films is a powerful and often harrowing account of the Polish resistance movement through World War II and after, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the struggle for personal and national freedom.

“[Wajda’s] wartime trilogy of A Generation, Kanał and Ashes and Diamonds remains one of the finest achievements of Eastern European cinema.”
Derek Malcolm, A Century of Film, The Guardian

A Generation (Pokolenie)
Wajda’s debut feature is a powerful coming-of-age story set amongst the ruins of German-occupied Warsaw. A gang of youths eke out a life of petty crime but are slowly drawn into the Resistance, graduating to a brutal struggle with their Nazi oppressors. Taking inspiration from the Italian neorealist movement, and brilliantly shot by Jerzy Lipman, A Generation changed Polish cinema forever, delivering a devastating portrait of the tragic price of war.

Kanał
During the last days of the Warsaw Uprising a ravaged band of resistance fighters retreat into the city sewers to avoid capture by the Nazis. In this pit of darkness, engulfed by filth, they desperately strive to hang onto their lives, their hopes and their sanity. Controversial for undermining a national myth of heroic sacrifice and full of haunting images, Wajda’s second feature is an unforgettable and harrowing depiction of the horrors of war.

Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament)
On the final day of WWII, a young Polish Resistance fighter is ordered to assassinate a Communist official. Once comrades in arms this triggers a moral dilemma, calling into question all that that was fought for. Defined by an electrifying, iconic performance by Zbigniew Cybulski, this depiction of Poland, poised between the horrors of the recent past and an uncertain future, is arguably Wajda’s masterpiece, and a landmark of international cinema.

Length / Features: 88 / 97 / 103 minutes
Length / Special features: 118 minutes
2.0 Dual Mono LPCM (48k/16-bit)
Black and white
Original aspect ratios: 1.37:1 / 1:33:1 / 1.66:1
Language: Polish
Subtitles: English

To find out more about Special Features and to buy a copy:

Second Run – Wajda The War Trilogy BD Box Set (secondrundvd.com)