Quotation from film 'Hydrozagadka' advertising XXXIV Polish Film Festival in Gdynia 2009 - 1

''Hydrozagadka'' ( pl, Hydro-puzzle) is a Polish

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

comedy film. During a summer heat wave, all the water in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

is puzzlingly disappearing. Scientists secretly call upon As (''

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

''), a superhero who passes his days living as a mild-mannered engineer, to try to solve the mystery. It turns out that a mysterious Maharaja is in league with Doctor Spot to steal Poland's water and take it to the Maharaja's country. The movie was ostensibly created as a

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 ...

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

of the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

ideals glorified in

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

and other superhero films, however Polish audiences instead felt that the film humorously parodied aspects of Polish life under

Communist rule A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comint ...

, such as the many

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

s for a "better life." Hydrozagadka premiered on 30 April 1971 on

Polish television Telewizja Polska S.A. (; "Polish Television"; TVP), also known in English as the public Polish Television is a Polish state media corporation. It is the largest Polish television network, although viewership has been declining in the 2010s. Sinc ...

.Hydrozagadka
FilmPolski.pl (Polish). Retrieved November 26, 2009.

Cast

Roman Kłosowski Roman Kłosowski (14 February 1929 – 11 June 2018) was a Polish character actor and stage director. Biography He was born on February 14, 1929, in Biała Podlaska. Graduate of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art's Facu ...

- Prince of Kabur *

Zdzisław Maklakiewicz Zdzisław Maklakiewicz (9 July 1927 in Warsaw – 9 October 1977) was a Polish actor. He was the nephew of composers Jan and Tadeusz Maklakiewicz. Biography During World War II, Maklakiewicz served in the Home Army. He took part in the Warsa ...

- Dr. Spot *

Wiesław Michnikowski Wiesław Michnikowski (3 June 1922, in Warsaw – 29 September 2017, in Warsaw) was a Polish stage, cabaret, and film actor. He performed at such satirical theaters (cabarets) as Kabaret Wagabunda, Kabaret Starszych Panów and Kabaret Dudek. ...

- Professor Milczarek * Józef Nowak - Jan Walczak / Ace *

Iga Cembrzyńska Maria Elżbieta "Iga" Cembrzyńska (born 2 July 1939) is a Polish actress, singer, composer, screenwriter, film director, and producer. She runs her own film company, ''Iga Film''. She was the wife of Polish film director Andrzej Kondratiuk. Fir ...

- Woman in Bar * Wiesława Mazurkiewicz - Florist * - Jola * - Translator * Jerzy Duszyński - Docent Frątczak *

Wiesław Gołas Wiesław Ryszard Gołas (Polish: vʲε.swav 'gɔ.was 9 October 1930 – 9 September 2021) was a Polish actor and Armia Krajowa soldier. He was cast in the role of Tomasz Czereśniak in ''Czterej pancerni i pies'' (Polish: ''Four tank men a ...

- Taxi Driver * - The Little * - Walczak's Friend *

Franciszek Pieczka Franciszek Maksymilian Pieczka (18 January 1928 – 23 September 2022) was a Polish actor. A graduate of the National Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw (1954), he first made his debut in the theatre in Jelenia Góra. He won the award for Best ...

- Sailor * - Walczak's friend * Jerzy Turek - crossing keeper *

Witold Skaruch Witold Skaruch (11 January 1930 – 17 February 2010) was a Polish character actor and director. He appeared in films, television shows and miniseries from 1953 until 2009. Skaruch, who was born in Ciechanów, Poland, began his professional acti ...

- Walczak's friend *

Andrzej Kondratiuk Andrzej Lech Kondratiuk (20 July 1936 – 22 June 2016) was a Polish film director, screenwriter, actor, and cinematographer. Biography Kondratiuk graduated from the National Film School in Łódź in 1963. Andrzej Kondratiuk created low-budget ...

- waggoner

Crew

* Director -

* Writing credits -

, Andrzej Bonarski * Cinematography - Zygmunt Samosiuk * Music - Waldemar Kazanecki * Scenography - Jarosław Świtoniak * Filmsetting - Jadwiga Zajicek * Costumes - Joanna Radzka, Alicja Ptaszyńska * Executive producer - Jerzy Rutowicz

References

External links

*
''Hydrozagadka''
at Superheroes Lives
"Hydrozagadka" at the filmweb.pl

''Hydrozagadka''
on

Polish Internet Movie Database Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

archive version of the site (probably unfinished) about the movie ''Hydrozagatka'' created by a fan
1971 films Polish science fiction comedy films Superhero comedy films 1970s superhero films 1970s science fiction comedy films Water scarcity in fiction 1971 comedy films 1970s Polish-language films {{Poland-film-stub