Film Polski (also Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe Film Polski) was the state-run film production and distribution organization of Poland, founded in 1945.

History

On November 13, 1945, the postwar communist government decreed the formation of Polski Film as a national enterprise. Organized under the Minister of Culture Władysław Kowalski, Polski Film had control over both domestic film production and distribution of all foreign films. In the first years there was still room for smaller production companies, notably Yiddish-language. Aleksander Ford by B

Aleksander Ford Aleksander Ford (born Mosze Lifszyc; 24 November 1908 in Kiev, Russian Empire – 4 April 1980 in Naples, Florida, U.S.) was a Polish film director; and head of the Polish People's Army Film Crew in the Soviet Union during World War II. Follow ...

served as Film Polski's first director from 1945 to 1947. As

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

noted in his autobiography, Ford was both an "extremely competent" manager and "a veteran party member, who was then an orthodox

Stalinist Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory o ...

. ...The real power broker during the immediate postwar period was Ford himself, who established a small film empire of his own." With colleagues from the

Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party ( pl, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza; ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other lega ...

, Ford rebuilt the film production infrastructure, a national studio, and the

National Film School in Łódź National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, which opened in 1948. Ford taught at Łódź for twenty years. Poland's first postwar feature was

Leonard Buczkowski Leonard Buczkowski (5 August 1900 – 19 February 1967) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. He directed 23 films between 1928 and 1966. His 1959 film ''The Eagle'' was entered into the 1st Moscow International Film Festival. Selec ...

's musical of the German occupation, ''

Zakazane piosenki Zakazane piosenki (, ''Forbidden Songs'') is a 1946 Polish musical film directed by Leonard Buczkowski. It was the first feature film to be created in Poland following the six years of World War II. The film, set during the German occupation o ...

'' (''Forbidden Songs''). First released in January 1947 and very popular, in 1948 the film was re-edited and re-released, with more emphasis on

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

's role as the ''liberator'' of Poland and the main ally of post-war Polish

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

regime, as well as a more grim view of the German occupation of Warsaw and German brutality in general.

Jerzy Zarzycki Jerzy Zarzycki (11 January 1911 – 2 January 1971) was a Polish film director. He directed 24 films between 1931 and 1970. He co-directed the 1933 film '' The Sea'', which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1933 for Best Short Subject ...

's ''

Unvanquished City ''Unvanquished City'' ( pl, Robinson warszawski, pl, Miasto nieujarzmione) is a 1950 Polish drama film directed by Jerzy Zarzycki. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Jan Kurnakowicz as Piotr Rafalski * Zofia Mrozowska ...

'' was similarly re-edited to become more ideologically acceptable. Film Polski was dissolved as of January 1, 1952, succeeded by the Centralny Urząd Kinematografii (Central Office of Cinematography). In its important but brief history it released a total of thirteen feature films,Marek Haltof (2002). Polish national cinema. Berghahn Books. pp. 49 along with dozens of short films and documentaries.

Productions

Film Polski's output includes: * ''Ostatni etap'' (''

The Last Stage ''The Last Stage'' (Polish: ''Ostatni etap'') is a 1948 Polish feature film directed and co-written by Wanda Jakubowska, depicting her experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. The film was one of the early cinematic e ...

''), 1947, directed by

Wanda Jakubowska Wanda Jakubowska (10 November 1907 – 25 February 1998) was a Polish film director. Although she directed as many as 15 films over 50 years, Jakubowska is best known for her work on the Holocaust. Her 1948 film ''The Last Stage'' was an early an ...

* ''

'' (''Forbidden Songs''), 1948, directed by

* ''Ulica Graniczna'' ('' Border Street''), 1948, directed by Ford * ''Skarb'', 1949, directed by

* ''Robinson warszawski'' (''

''), 1950, directed by

* ''Warszawska premiera'' (''

Warsaw Premiere ''Warsaw Premiere'' (Polish:''Warszawska premiera'') is a 1951 Polish historical film directed by Jan Rybkowski and starring Jan Koecher, Barbara Kostrzewska and Jerzy Duszyński. The film's art direction was by Roman Mann. The film portrays the ...

''), 1951, directed by

Jan Rybkowski Jan Izydor Rybkowski (4 April 1912 – 29 December 1987) was a Polish film director. He directed 30 films between 1949 and 1984. His 1961 film ''Tonight a City Will Die'' was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival. Two yea ...

* ''Mlodosc Chopin'' ('' Youth of Chopin''), 1951, directed by Ford

References

{{Authority control State-owned film companies Mass media companies established in 1945 1945 establishments in Poland Film distributors of Poland Film production companies of Poland