''Hunting Flies'' ( pl, Polowanie na muchy) is a 1969 Polish

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

. It was entered into the

1969 Cannes Film Festival The 22nd Cannes Film Festival was held from 8 to 23 May 1969. At this festival a new non-competitive section called Directors' Fortnight was added, in response to the cancellation of the 1968 festival. The Grand Prix du Festival International d ...

Plot

Włodek ( Zygmunt Malanowicz) is a young man who is stuck in a boring job in a library. He lives in a small apartment with his wife, son and in-laws. His family life is oppressive due to constant nagging by his wife, who wants to move to a bigger apartment. His father-in-law has an obsession with flies. His son is glued to the television set. Włodek's life changes when he meets a young woman, Irena (

Małgorzata Braunek Małgorzata Braunek (30 January 1947 – 23 June 2014) was a Polish film and stage actress. Early life Małgorzata Braunek was born in Szamotuły. She studied acting department at National Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw until 1969, when she ...

), who fascinates him with her striking appearance and impressive vocabulary. They set off on a short trip together. Their affair is more intellectual than physical. Irena seeks to control Włodek and make him a successful man as imagined by her. Włodek manages to regain control of his life just in time.

Cast

* Zygmunt Malanowicz - Włodek *

- Irena * Ewa Skarzanka - Hanka, Włodek's wife *

Hanna Skarzanka Hannah or Hanna may refer to: People, biblical figures, and fictional characters * Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin * Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin * Hanna (Irish surname), a fam ...

- Hanka's mother *

Józef Pieracki Józef Pieracki (10 September 1909 - 5 August 1988) was a Polish actor. He appeared in more than seventy films from 1953 to 1986. Selected filmography References External links * 1909 births 1988 deaths Polish male film actors Rec ...

- Hanka's father *

Daniel Olbrychski Daniel Marcel Olbrychski (; born 27 February 1945) is a Polish film and theatre actor who is widely considered one of the greatest Polish actors of his generation. He appeared in 180 films and TV productions and is best known for leading roles ...

- Sculptor *

Irena Dziedzic The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is the first international organi ...

- Journalist * Leszek Drogosz - Militiaman *

Jacek Fedorowicz Jacek Jan Fedorowicz (born 18 July 1937) is a Polish satirist and actor. Early life Fedorowicz was born in pre-war Gdynia, Poland to a family of Varsovians. His parents worked for the newly developed Polish maritime economy. As a 7-year-old ...

- Director *

Marek Grechuta Marek Michał Grechuta (10 December 1945 – 9 October 2006) was a Polish singer, songwriter, composer, and lyricist. Early life Grechuta was born on 10 December 1945 in Zamość, Poland. He studied architecture at Tadeusz Kościuszko University ...

- V.I.P.'s Son *

Irena Laskowska Irena Laskowska (15 March 1925 – 6 December 2019) was a Polish actress. She appeared in more than 40 films and television shows between 1948 and 2003. Selected filmography * '' The Last Day of Summer'' (1958) * ''Milczące ślady ''Mi ...

- Editor's Wife * Julia Bratna - Girl *

M. Ziólkowski ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...

- Boy * Leon Bukowiecki - Editor * Krzysztof Burnatowicz

Reception

The film, when released, was well received by some critics, which led to its being shortlisted for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. However, the portrayal of women in the film came in for adverse comments. One critic remarked: "the film's stale misogyny doesn't reflect well on

ajda Ajda is an Arabic and Turkish surname and given name, and a Slovene word for buckwheat, infrequently also used as a female given name. It may refer to: * Ajda Novak (born 1993), Slovenian slalom canoeist * Ajda Pekkan (born 1946), also known as S ...

..." Accepting the criticism, Andrzej Wajda wrote later: "I willingly accepted Janusz Glowacki's film script without giving it much thought. Driven by frustration of temporary personal misadventures, I decided to settle the score with women who try to control men's lives. ... Unfortunately, my faculties were dimmed by my temporary disgust with women ... I lacked clear judgement and had to pay for it. ... what resulted was a fairly colourless film." ''Hunting Flies'' has attracted critical attention as a film which is atypical of Wajda's work. As a 2016 reviewer writes: "With ''Hunting Flies'' Andrzej Wajda clearly deviated from his usual style and gave us a satiric bitter-sweet picture of young adults being trapped in various social deals, family issues, class system (still visible) – just like eponymous flies stuck to a flypaper."

References

External links

* {{Andrzej Wajda 1969 films 1960s Polish-language films 1969 comedy films Films directed by Andrzej Wajda Polish comedy films