"Prawdziwe męstwo" – czyli o możliwościach lektury gatunku jako politycznego zwierciadła

Author(s): Ireneusz Skupień / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 93-94/2016

The article shows how the postmodern cinema uses the tradition of a genre in order to construct the discourse of contemporary America. The author hypothesized that “True Grit” by Coen brothers, a western entangled in a web of intertextual references (both literary as an adaptation of the novel by Ch. Portis and film based, as a remake of H. Hathaway’s film), has the potential of creating representations not based on text. The present article is a polemic against the most common research stand, which negates the possibility of generating by the postmodern aesthetic meanings beyond the text. The author defends the thesis that the film by Coen brothers is a text which lends itself well to interpretation as a reflection of social attitudes, anxieties and desires. The author also discusses the question of demythologization and polemics of the Western tradition and the matter of approaching the western as a source of historical meanings.

"Production studies" w Polsce – stan badań

Author(s): Anna Wróblewska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 16 (23)/2016

Film culture research involves observing and analysing complex production, economic and market contexts as well as film set issues and the film preparation process, team work realities, customs, and self-reflective narratives of crew members, which usually fall beyond the scope of the film studies. The film production culture research, though innovative a few years ago, is now becoming more and more popular in Poland. Therefore, it appears to be the right moment to define both the state of research and the latest achievements in the production studies in Poland. The aim of this paper is to present an outline of the Polish film culture research on film production in Poland, make an attempt to systematise it as well as specify the areas that have not been examined thoroughly.

"PSYCHANALYSE ET SORCELLERIE – LA PSYCHOLOGISATION DE L’ANTHROPOLOGIQUE"

Author(s): Noemina Câmpean / Language(s): French / Issue: 1/2022

Book Review : Ioan Pop-Curșeu, Études comparatives sur la sorcellerie. Anthropologie, cinéma, littérature, arts visuels (Școala Ardeleană Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2021)

"Quo Vadis?" by Enrico Guazzoni and "Quo Vadis?" by Gabriellino D’Annunzio: Production – Dramaturgy – Reception

Author(s): Anna Miller-Klejsa / Language(s): English / Issue: 18 (25)/2017

The paper concentrates on two feature films based upon Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel about ancient Rome – "Quo Vadis?" (dir. Enrico Guazzoni [1913]) and "Quo Vadis?" (dir. Gabriellino D’Annunzio, Georg Jacoby [1925]). Both films belong to the peplum genre, popular during the era of silent cinema. The paper reconstructs production circumstances of both films as well as their historical reception. It is argued that both films can be seen through the prism of socio-political contexts, including the colonial ambitions of the Italian state.

"Rinia" e Sorrentinos

Author(s): Kastriot Kurti / Language(s): Albanian / Issue: 5/2015

Një trashëgimi e pasur kombëtare që ka bërë historinë e kinemasë europiane dhe botërore, dhe një shirit i grisur 35 milimetërsh që rrëshqet nën mëngë, ky është identiteti kinematografik i regjisorit italian, Paolo Sorrentino

"Rzodkiewki" Janusza Morgensterna

Author(s): Marek Hendrykowski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 19/2012

Marek Hendrykowski’s essay presents the importance of Janusz Morgenstern’s early short film Radishes made after Stalin’s death, in 1954 as a student work produced by Film School in Łódź. The main character, old worker Gruliński loses his clear hopes and human illusions. The pessimistic conclusion is closed further by the simultaneous description of the hero’s social image within a discourse of origins and the sacred which evacuates analysis of class conflict and sociological approach in the narrative of an “ordinary good man” brutally disturbed in his desires and works by the irruption and power of an omnipotent destructive Stalinist “red tape” bureaucracy. The poetics of Radishes is deeply influenced by the style of an Italian neorealism, first of all by its famous masterpiece, Vittorio De Sica’s Umberto D. (1952).

"Suszyć, skruszyć, zmielić, zważyć". Kino gatunków a filmy z Panem Kleksem

Author(s): Radosław Pisula / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15 (22)/2016

Polish genre cinema in the time of Polish People’s Republic was in stagnation due to the sociopolitical situation. Limited access to the thriving foreign film industry suppressed a natural evolution within the genre cinema. However, the liberalization of stagnant and overly politicized rules in the communist film industry brought change in the 1980s.The government used to saw movies as a way to sell propaganda in the country. This cultural revolution was marked by the appearance of a new generation of directors, similar in some ways to American New Hollywood; rise of a VCR market and laxity of political restrictions.One of the best representatives of this progression is the Mr. Kleks movie trilogy. Adaptations of Jan Brzechwa’s cult book series: Academy of Mr. Kleks (1983), The Travels of Mr. Kleks (1985), Mr. Kleks in Space (1988). All of theme were directed by Krzysztof Gradowski. The series is a perfect example of a genre-melting pot. Something unprecedented in the Polish cinema.Although there are many radically different conventions in the story, the narrative is very coherent. The release of the first installment clearly marks the beginning of the transformation in the Polish film industry.In the article, I will present the ways in which the film genres are functioning in the Mr. Kleks movies and analyze how these highly original productions were part of a turbulent period of transformational change in communist Poland.

"Trzeba czerpać z przeszłości". O jodze w Polsce lat 60.

Author(s): Kamila Gęsikowska / Language(s): Polish / Publication Year: 0

After 1945, Poland saw a more pronounced interest in yoga as a practice related to physical exercise, which is evident in book publications (manuals such as Yoga for You by Claude Bragdon, Eng. ed. 1954, Pol. ed. 1955) or press publications (such as the February 17, 1959 issue of “Przekrój”, which featured an interview with the pianist Witold Małcużyński, in which the artist talked about his experiences with yoga and his use of the practice in his daily and professional life). Yoga also became an object of interest for the creators of the popular 1960s television series Wojna domowa (“House Quarrels”) (1965). This paper analyzes episode seven of Wojna domowa entitled “Polish Yoga.” The author traces the social and cultural changes that occurred in the perception of yoga and the people who practice it. On the basis of her analysis, she proves that the figure of the yogi gradually ceased to be associated only with the culture of India at that time, undergoing a kind of “Occidentalizing” — the yogi did not have to be an Eastern master, but could be a specialist (though in the case of the show presented in a comedic fashion). Yoga, adjusting to the new cultural reality, became an interesting novelty for the young generation, at the same time entering more and more clearly into everyday life.

"Verujem u Boga i u Sudnji dan" – Hayrun Yahya i savremena kontekstualizacija apokaliptičnih hadisa

Author(s): Marko Pišev / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1/2013

The motif of the apocalypse has fascinated mankind from the very beginnings of oral history and is present in various myths and religious traditions, finding its expression in the art of all time periods. Even today it hasn't lost its grip on human imagination. In modern Islamic contexts, the phenomenon of the apocalypse incorporates anti-western ideologies, which reflect, to a large extent the socio-cultural heritage of former anti-colonialist struggles, as well as the anti-imperialist attitudes which are present in a large number of contemporary Muslim societies. When paired with apocalyptic narratives, these notions can lead to negative essentializations of so-called "western morals and ethics", which are subsequently interpreted as a clear sign of the End times. Aside from the wider consideration of the symbolism of Islamic apocalyptic narratives, the paper will deal with a critical analysis of the visualizations of the Signs of the Last Day books by religious author Hayrun Yahya, who considers the topic of the apocalypse, as presented in the Koran and hadiths, in an affirmative light. We will attempt to puzzle out why the textual version of Signs utilizes certain quotes from the hadiths, while other, equally relevant quotes are avoided. We will rely on the so-called "interdiscursive" aspect of the enclosed quasi– documentary film, or rather, the heterogeneous elements which make up its audio-visual "text". This analysis should uncover the ideological notions behind this specific instrumentalization of scripture for the aim of religious, cultural and moral critique of contemporary (both Muslim and non-Muslim) societies; however, we will also attempt to point out the multifunctional idea – suggested to the viewing/reading audience of apocalyptic narratives – that Judgment day is near, and can come around at any moment.

"Wieczór" Edwarda Żebrowskiego - autorska kopia

Author(s): Andrzej Szpulak / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 19/2012

The aim of this article is interpretation of the short film directed in 1964 by Edward Żebrowski, student of Film School in Łódź. Author is considering the many aspects of the relationships between study film and two years earlier debut of Roman Polanski, the famous Knife in the Water. He shows that by using the concept of feature of more experienced colleague, Żebrowski at the same time creates the foundations for his own film language and manifests its own perception of the world, as well as interpersonal problems, developed in further work.

"Without One Tree, a Forest Will Stay a Forest" by Dagmara Drzazga As a Religious and Historical Documentary

Author(s): Katarzyna Citko / Language(s): English / Issue: 24/2014

Katarzyna Citkos article is an analysis of Dagmara Drzazga’s film Bez jednego drzewa las lasem zostanie (Without One Tree, a Forest Will Stay a Forest, 2012), an example of a religious and historical documentary. The article describes the film’s depiction of the tragic fate of Jan Macha, a priest who during the Nazi occupation of Poland organized help for victims of German oppression as a co-founder of the Scout organization Konwalia (Lilly). For his work, he was arrested and executed in a prison in Katowice by means of a guillotine that was installed there in 1941. The article also analyses film-making techniques characteristic to documentaries, as well as the specific forms of expression which situate Drzazga’s work in the realm of religious cinema. These documentary techniques include combining photos and archival documentaries, interviews with people who knew Macha, and the opinions of experts, such as historians, clergymen and journalists. Other interesting techniques employed by the director make it possible to describe the film as belonging to religious cinema of the transcendental style, as described by Paul Schrader, which abandons unnecessary suspense in favor of poetic images; focuses on the dynamics and drama of the events rather than an in-depth psychological analysis of characters’ motivations; interweaves first and third person narration, which is carried out by means of both voice over and by people speaking in the film; uses suggestive image editing combined with music which employs the theme of Agnus Dei. All of these features helped Drzazga’s interesting and thought-provoking film win a number of awards at international Catholic film festivals.

"Анна Каренина. История Вронского" на Карен Шахназаров - граници на киноинтерпретацията

Author(s): Nataliya Nyagolova / Language(s): Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

The article outlines the aesthetic and culturological context of the inception and functioning of the series “Anna Karenina. The History of Vronsky” (2017) by Karen Shakhnazarov. It describes the transformations of the original narrative model of L.N.Tolstoy’s novel and its relation to the structure of the parable (Gabdullina) and the parallel story structure (Nabokov). It also interprets the novel’s narrative assembly with the documentary prose of V. V. Veresaev as a model of presenting Russian history of the end of the XIX – early XX century.

"Игра на Етнология" - филм без сценарий

Author(s): Mariya Slavcheva / Language(s): Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

The access to technical devices that can take pictures and videos with is nothing new for a long time. Moreover, they are used more frequently during the ethnological fieldwork. The aim of the article is to inform and to enlighten the reader with the steps and the difficulties one can face while creating a student ethnological film. It focuses on the decision-making methodology while the movie is made, as well as the problem-solving of the missing screenplay. The Game of Ethnology movie is a result of the common fieldwork of me – Mariya Slavcheva, and Aneliya Avdzhieva, Svetoslava Mancheva, Svoboda Stoeva, Zornitsa Prandzheva – B.A. and M.A. students in Ethnology from the Paisiy Hilendarski University of Plovdiv.

"КУРСАЏИЈЕ"- ТЕРАПЕУТСКА УСПАВАНКА? АНАЛИЗА ПОПУЛАРНЕ ДОМАЋЕ ХУМОРИСТИЧКЕ СЕРИЈЕ

Author(s): Marija Krstić / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1/2009

This paper analyzes Serbian television comedy series "Kursadzije" and its popularity with Serbian audience. The kursadzije are representatives of nations of former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia and participants of the course for "Special Balkan Forces" - all are nationally stereotyped, while the Serb is also socially defined, as "Peasant Serb" (Srbin-Seljak). The series demonstrates the effort to define Serb identity through stereotypes and humiliation of other members of former SFRY. I analyzed the contents of the DVD edition of "Kursadzije 1-5", and used the results of interviews with fans and viewers of the series, and an interview with Sasa Pantic, actor and screenplay writer of "Kursadzije". Despite poor quality of the series which is mostly based on use of ethnic humor, this sitcom is very popular among various social, educational and age groups in Serbia. Therefore, aim of the research was to reexamine reasons why is such (re)construction of Others important to the audience, and is "Yugo-nostalgia", viewed as craving for better times, one of the reasons for huge acceptance and popularity of the series.

"Лигите на дявола": Теория на присъстващия

Author(s): Vanya Georgieva / Language(s): Bulgarian / Publication Year: 0

The present text focuses on the question of the "ultimate" observing authority in the "The drool of the devil". This is an attempt to study who is the biggest, the highest, the most real viewer that is present? Who is the "true master" of the story? The narrative, the author, the heroes, the reader, the one in the center of the sphere? The answer is to be sought in “The drool of the devil” or “The Devil's Drool”, also commonly known as “Blow-up” – after Antonioni’s film which it inspired.

"Музикалната естрада продължава да живее в културната памет на българите"

Интервю с Розмари Стателова за новата й книга 'Естрада и социализъм: проблясъци'

Author(s): Zhana Popova / Language(s): Bulgarian / Issue: 5/2019

Interview with Rosemary Statelova about her new book „Estrada and Socialism: Glimpses“

"Руси долазе, Руси долазе" - апологија детанта“

Author(s): Ivan Kovačević,Vladimir Ribić / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 2/2014

The 1966 film The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming is a film which promotes the politics of detente in America. After cold war era films in which the Soviets are exclusively portrayed as spies endangering America, this is the first film to portray them as positive characters, while ridiculing those who propagate war and confrontation. After the Cuban crisis and the process of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons it was necessary to show the American public the funny face of detente. In the comedy about sailors from a stranded Soviet submarine confrontation is always possible but us avoided through solidarity and communal efforts. This apology of detente, intended to calm the cold war situation and anti-war lobbies in America is one-sided, because there weren’t any such films on the other side. What happened over there during the detente period is evident by the following decade in which the largest number of military interventions by the Soviet and Cuban armies around the world occurred.

#problemypierwszegoswiata Gdy długie filmy trwają jeszcze dłużej

Author(s): Wiliam Brown / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 19 (26)/2018

The aim of this essay is to identify the ways in which long films might be seen to constitute a challenge to the capitalist ideology that underwrites much of contemporary life. I shall do this not by identifying what makes a long film long, but by working with the very relativity of the term (it is not that all movies over, say, three hours in length are ‘long’). That is, I shall argue that a film becomes ‘long’ when it contradicts the demands of contemporary life under capitalism. I shall then explore to what extent this contradiction always holds if all films are, regardless of running time, spectacles of a sort, and thus not a challenge to, but a critical component of life under capitalism. Finally, I shall suggest that it is when films are unnecessarily longer than they should be, e.g. when the internet is not working for online film viewing, that we have perhaps the most powerful challenge to the ‘busy’ ideology of life under capitalism.

(Hi)Story for the Youngest.

Adaptations of Children’s Literature Made by Polish Female Directors

Author(s): Magdalena Walo / Language(s): English,Polish / Issue: 23 (30)/2020

A graduate of painting and graphic arts at the Higher School of Arts and Crafts in Brno, Ester Krumbachová became known in her professional life as a costume designer, set designer, scriptwriter, author and finally a director. However, she was often pushed to the margins of authorship with the label of “inspiration and just a muse”. There are at least a few basic themes that organize the specificity of Ester’s artistic discourse. There are costumes, and props for which she was responsible: hats, shawls, black umbrellas, silk shirts, camp coats or overalls made out of newspaper and twine. But the whole galaxy of food, meal preparation, feeding and gluttony demands describing. The films Ester was involved in, as a writer or director, are woven from it. The specificity of the interior, often adjacent to the “metaphorical and mental” map of the artist’s apartment, becomes an important background for the platform of culinary images. The recorded registers seem to speak of food and clothes, typically female areas of interest and activity. The main aim of this article will be to treat them as semantically important mechanisms of communication, mostly visual and non-verbal.

(Ne)istorinis istorinio Atgimimo laikotarpio tyrimas

Author(s): Tomas Vaitelė / Language(s): Lithuanian / Issue: 46/2020

Review of: Tomas Vaitelė - Rec.: Anna Mikonis-Railienė, Renata Šukaitytė, Mantas Martišius, Renata Stonytė, Politinis lūžis ekrane: (po)komunistinė transformacija Lietuvos dokumentiniame kine, videokronikoje ir televizijoje, Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla, 2020.