Cudowne dziecko. Studium polsko-kanadyjskiej koprodukcji schyłku PRL
The Young Magician: A Study of a Polish-Canadian Co-production in the Decline of the Polish People’s Re- public

Summary/Abstract: The article is a study of the Polish-Canadian co-produc- tion The Young Magician (Cudowne dziecko, 1987), directed by Waldemar Dziki. The author focuses on reconstructing the Polish filmmakers’ reasons for undertaking a collabo- ration with the Western contractor and reflects on the pro- duction process, tracing how it influenced the shape of the film work. In this way, he describes the specificity of Polish cinematography of the declining period of the Polish Peo- ple’s Republic – both in economic terms and in terms of changes in the mentality of artists and decision-makers. The background circumstances in which the agreement was signed reveal the values that proved to be crucial for Polish cinematography to enter the international film mar- ket. The case of production cooperation between countries from both sides of the Iron Curtain is examined in the per- spective of a critical reflection on transnational cinema, using the concept of power relations – both soft and hard – proposed by Joseph Nye. However, the example of The Young Magician above all points to the role of negotiation in international co-productions, which leads to hybrid film forms.

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