The film The Golden Train (1986) – Polish – Romanian co-production of a missed opportunity?
The film The Golden Train (1986) – Polish – Romanian co-production of a missed opportunity?

Summary/Abstract: In the past, there was no extensive co-operation between Polish and Romanian cinematography. In the 1980s, a film entitled The Golden Train (referring to the common history of both nations during World War II) was produced with great fanfare. The joint project involved, for those times, huge financial resources. It is necessary to refer to the political situation at that time to understand why it was decided to implement this project in the final form. The artistic vision presented in the film, which refers to a real situation, may arouse great controversy. However, the creators involved in the production of the film probably had their own reasons. In the 1980s, it was not necessarily possible to officially disclose the factors that influenced the artistic expression of a work. In the post–World War II period, cooperation between Polish and Romanian cinematography acquired particular significance and deserves closer examination. The text presents, among others: an outline of formal issues (provisions of bilateral agreements) that preceded the production of the film and is based on sources held in the Archive of New Records in Warsaw (Archiwum Akt Nowych w Warszawie) and the State Archive in Warsaw (Archiwum Państwowe w Warszawie). The collection of documents regarding the Polish – Romanian co-production has historical value but reflects the spirit of a bygone era. While the artistic value of the films produced in that period is open to debate, the cinematography of the time constitutes a valuable source for understanding the cultural relationships that existed then. The purpose of this article is to examine whether filmmakers from Poland and Romania made proper use of the opportunities offered by their cooperation. It also seeks to identify the factors that shaped the reception of the film directed by Bohdan Poręba (1934–2014) among Polish and Romanian audiences. It seems that the choice of the film director was not accidental and was motivated by issues that the Romanian audience may not have been aware of. Bohdan Poręba was a rather controversial figure who, even in the Polish People’s Republic, provoked strong reactions, not all of them positive. The director could certainly have counted on greater leniency from institutional censorship, which played a huge role in limiting artistic freedom throughout the Soviet Bloc. The ambition of this article is also to provoke a broader discussion in Poland and Romania about the place in the culture of politically engaged film production created during the existence of the Soviet Bloc.

• Details
• Contents