{"id":12547,"date":"2026-03-18T16:27:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/?p=12547"},"modified":"2026-03-27T11:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T10:08:12","slug":"life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2026\/03\/18\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish films at the Open City Documentary Festival London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wednesday 15th April, Rich Mix London and Close-Up Cinema<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life and Labour in Socialist Poland \u2013 Films from Enthusiasts: Archive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm<\/mark><\/strong>
WHERE: Rich Mix London<\/strong>
FREE ENTRY: book here –<\/strong> https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive-tickets-1984394152328?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enthusiasts: Archive <\/em>emerged from a series of exhibitions in 2004 as a collaboration between Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska. The artists carried out extensive research on moving image work created by amateur film clubs in Poland during the socialist period and in 2019 brought the works together into an accessible collection, placing them within the public domain. The project has not only brought together a valuable body of under-viewed work but its archive-as-artwork model has also challenged how an archive should be expected to function and how such collections can be reconfigured to become sites of generosity and creative exchange. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This selection of films from Enthusiasts: Archive <\/em>stretch across the socialist period and cover subjects including the country\u2019s rapid post-war urbanisation, working life in these new cities and the emergence of dissent. A range of formal techniques are employed, including animation, live-action and chemical development. Whilst the influence of Polish film schools and studios in developing filmmakers, including from the Global South, has been the subject of recent academic discussion, these films are a testimony to the diverse amateur film cultures that existed in the country outside of the established industry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These films are licensed under <\/em>CC BY-NC-ND 3.0<\/em>, as part of Neil Cummings & Marysia Lewandowska, <\/em>Enthusiasts Archive<\/em>, 2004-2018. With thanks to Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Very Old (Bardzo starzy oboje)<\/strong>
Alfred Stefa\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1968 | Poland | 7\u2019 | digital | silent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three-Room Apartment (M3)<\/strong>
Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaze (Spojrzenie)<\/strong>
Tadeusz Wudzki, (AKF Pegaz, Warsaw) | 1974 | Poland | 5\u2019 | digital | sound <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rockefellers (Rokefelerzy)<\/strong>
Jerzy Chmielewski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1950s | Poland | 8\u2019 | digital | silent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sisyphus (Syzyfowie)<\/strong>
Tadeusz Wudzki (AKF Wiedza, Warsaw) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | sound <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contemporary Symphony (Wsp\u00f3\u0142czesna Symfonia)<\/strong>
Maciej Korus, Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | Polish spoken, English subtitles <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symbiosis (Symbioza)<\/strong>
Tadeusz Junak (STK Rotunda, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 10\u2019 | digital | silent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blockade (Blokada)<\/strong>
Leszek Boguszewski (AKF Sawa Warszawa) | 1981 | Poland | 11\u2019 | digital | sound <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together (Razem)<\/strong>
Krzysztof Janicki, Marek Bara\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1977 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | silent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humbug<\/strong>
Gerard Piszczek, Micha\u0142 Kuczmi\u0144ski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1970s | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carousel (Karuzela) <\/strong>
Krzysztof Szafraniec (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1987 | Poland | 3\u2019 | digital | sound <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information can be found here<\/strong>: https:\/\/opencitylondon.com\/events\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-non-fiction-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/ <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woven (Utkane)<\/em>\u00a0as part of the Combined Programme: Woven<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15 8:30 pm<\/mark><\/strong>
WHERE: Close-Up Cinema London<\/strong>
Book here –<\/strong> Combined Programme: Woven – Open City Documentary Festival<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 28 minute short film by Maria Oblicka & Alexander C. Trigg | 2026 | Poland | 28\u2019 | digital | Polish spoken, English subtitles\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woven<\/em>\u00a0places us behind the loom of Krystyna-Wojtyna Drouet and on the walks that serve as source material for the expressive, dappled tapestries she weaves there. Versed in natural dyeing methods, her landscape\u00a0\u2013\u00a0gilded and lush\u00a0\u2013 becomes her colour palette and the silent witness to the poetry she recites as she traverses it. A member of the Polish School of Textile art, and its last survivor, at 99 she\u00a0remains\u00a0deft and assured in her craft but unsure of her memory, paging through photos from decades past, confronted with the passages she no longer recognises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screening is part of a programme with 3 other films<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Followed by a Q&A with\u00a0the filmmakers.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wednesday 15th April, Rich Mix London and Close-Up Cinema Life and Labour in Socialist Poland \u2013 Films from Enthusiasts: Archive WHEN: Wednesday, April 15 from 6 pm to 7:30 pmWHERE: Rich Mix LondonFREE ENTRY: book here – https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive-tickets-1984394152328?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Enthusiasts: Archive emerged from a series of exhibitions in 2004 as a collaboration between Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":12553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-film"],"yoast_head":"\nPolish films at the Open City Documentary Festival London - Instytut Polski w Londynie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2026\/03\/18\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"pl_PL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Polish films at the Open City Documentary Festival London - Instytut Polski w Londynie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wednesday 15th April, Rich Mix London and Close-Up Cinema Life and Labour in Socialist Poland \u2013 Films from Enthusiasts: Archive WHEN: Wednesday, April 15 from 6 pm to 7:30 pmWHERE: Rich Mix LondonFREE ENTRY: book here – https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive-tickets-1984394152328?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Enthusiasts: Archive emerged from a series of exhibitions in 2004 as a collaboration between Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska. 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Whilst the influence of Polish film schools and studios in developing filmmakers, including from the Global South, has been the subject of recent academic discussion, these films are a testimony to the diverse amateur film cultures that existed in the country outside of the established industry. \\nThese films are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0, as part of Neil Cummings & Marysia Lewandowska, Enthusiasts Archive, 2004-2018. With thanks to Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska. \\nBoth Very Old (Bardzo starzy oboje)Alfred Stefa\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1968 | Poland | 7\u2019 | digital | silent \\nThree-Room Apartment (M3)Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound \\nGaze (Spojrzenie)Tadeusz Wudzki, (AKF Pegaz, Warsaw) | 1974 | Poland | 5\u2019 | digital | sound \\nThe Rockefellers (Rokefelerzy)Jerzy Chmielewski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1950s | Poland | 8\u2019 | digital | silent \\nSisyphus (Syzyfowie)Tadeusz Wudzki (AKF Wiedza, Warsaw) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | sound \\nContemporary Symphony (Wsp\u00f3\u0142czesna Symfonia)Maciej Korus, Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | Polish spoken, English subtitles \\nSymbiosis (Symbioza)Tadeusz Junak (STK Rotunda, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 10\u2019 | digital | silent \\nBlockade (Blokada)Leszek Boguszewski (AKF Sawa Warszawa) | 1981 | Poland | 11\u2019 | digital | sound \\nTogether (Razem)Krzysztof Janicki, Marek Bara\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1977 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | silent \\nHumbugGerard Piszczek, Micha\u0142 Kuczmi\u0144ski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1970s | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound \\nCarousel (Karuzela) Krzysztof Szafraniec (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1987 | Poland | 3\u2019 | digital | sound \\nMore information can be found here: https:\/\/opencitylondon.com\/events\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-non-fiction-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/ \\nWoven (Utkane)\u00a0as part of the Combined Programme: Woven\\nWHEN: Wednesday, April 15 8:30 pmWHERE: Close-Up Cinema LondonBook here - Combined Programme: Woven - Open City Documentary Festival\\nA 28 minute short film by Maria Oblicka & Alexander C. 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The artists carried out extensive research on moving image work created by amateur film clubs in Poland during the socialist period and in 2019 brought the works together into an accessible collection, placing them within the public domain. The project has not only brought together a valuable body of under-viewed work but its archive-as-artwork model has also challenged how an archive should be expected to function and how such collections can be reconfigured to become sites of generosity and creative exchange. \nThis selection of films from Enthusiasts: Archive stretch across the socialist period and cover subjects including the country\u2019s rapid post-war urbanisation, working life in these new cities and the emergence of dissent. A range of formal techniques are employed, including animation, live-action and chemical development. Whilst the influence of Polish film schools and studios in developing filmmakers, including from the Global South, has been the subject of recent academic discussion, these films are a testimony to the diverse amateur film cultures that existed in the country outside of the established industry. \nThese films are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0, as part of Neil Cummings & Marysia Lewandowska, Enthusiasts Archive, 2004-2018. With thanks to Neil Cummings and Marysia Lewandowska. \nBoth Very Old (Bardzo starzy oboje)Alfred Stefa\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1968 | Poland | 7\u2019 | digital | silent \nThree-Room Apartment (M3)Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound \nGaze (Spojrzenie)Tadeusz Wudzki, (AKF Pegaz, Warsaw) | 1974 | Poland | 5\u2019 | digital | sound \nThe Rockefellers (Rokefelerzy)Jerzy Chmielewski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1950s | Poland | 8\u2019 | digital | silent \nSisyphus (Syzyfowie)Tadeusz Wudzki (AKF Wiedza, Warsaw) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | sound \nContemporary Symphony (Wsp\u00f3\u0142czesna Symfonia)Maciej Korus, Jerzy Ridan (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1971 | Poland | 6\u2019 | digital | Polish spoken, English subtitles \nSymbiosis (Symbioza)Tadeusz Junak (STK Rotunda, Krak\u00f3w) | 1969 | Poland | 10\u2019 | digital | silent \nBlockade (Blokada)Leszek Boguszewski (AKF Sawa Warszawa) | 1981 | Poland | 11\u2019 | digital | sound \nTogether (Razem)Krzysztof Janicki, Marek Bara\u0144ski (AKF Grunwald, Olsztyn) | 1977 | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | silent \nHumbugGerard Piszczek, Micha\u0142 Kuczmi\u0144ski (AKF Iks, Miko\u0142\u00f3w) | c. 1970s | Poland | 4\u2019 | digital | sound \nCarousel (Karuzela) Krzysztof Szafraniec (AKF Nowa Huta, Krak\u00f3w) | 1987 | Poland | 3\u2019 | digital | sound \nMore information can be found here: https:\/\/opencitylondon.com\/events\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-non-fiction-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/ \nWoven (Utkane)\u00a0as part of the Combined Programme: Woven\nWHEN: Wednesday, April 15 8:30 pmWHERE: Close-Up Cinema LondonBook here - Combined Programme: Woven - Open City Documentary Festival\nA 28 minute short film by Maria Oblicka & Alexander C. Trigg | 2026 | Poland | 28\u2019 | digital | Polish spoken, English subtitles\u00a0\nWoven\u00a0places us behind the loom of Krystyna-Wojtyna Drouet and on the walks that serve as source material for the expressive, dappled tapestries she weaves there. Versed in natural dyeing methods, her landscape\u00a0\u2013\u00a0gilded and lush\u00a0\u2013 becomes her colour palette and the silent witness to the poetry she recites as she traverses it. A member of the Polish School of Textile art, and its last survivor, at 99 she\u00a0remains\u00a0deft and assured in her craft but unsure of her memory, paging through photos from decades past, confronted with the passages she no longer recognises.\nThe screening is part of a programme with 3 other films\nFollowed by a Q&A with\u00a0the filmmakers."},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2026\/03\/18\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/03\/obraz_2026-03-18_152114060.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/03\/obraz_2026-03-18_152114060.png","width":940,"height":470},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/2026\/03\/18\/life-and-labour-in-socialist-poland-films-from-enthusiasts-archive\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Polish films at the Open City Documentary Festival London"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#website","url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/","name":"Instytut Polski w Londynie","description":"Instytuty Polskie","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"pl-PL"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/650660f82290e905505348ef8ca79a33","name":"konopkab","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"pl-PL","@id":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fb1006bc5b4ae26fa605cdf675d5e97c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"konopkab"},"url":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/author\/konopkab\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12547"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12757,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12547\/revisions\/12757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/instytutpolski.pl\/london\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}