KANTOR'S CIRCLE

POLISH TITLE: KRĄG KANTORA

Kantor’s Circle is a documentary film about young Polish artists who created and developed clandestine art in Krakow under Nazi occupation. During the Second World War, Tadeusz Kantor, one of the most famous polish theatre director and painter of the XX century gathered talented artists around him. Most of them were pupils of the German School of Arts and Crafts (The Kunstgewerbeschule), under which name the conspired Academy of Fine Arts was masked. Along with them, Tadeusz Kantor created the Underground Independent Theatre in 1942 and realized two theatrical pieces, “Balladyna” and “The Return of Odysseus” in private apartments. Professor Mieczyslaw Poresbki wrote: „Art that came to life at that time was born as a response to danger and against danger.” This is the period in which the painters Jerzy Nowosielski, Tadeusz Brzozowski, the set designer Jerzy Skarzynski, the filmmaker Wojciech Jerzy Has met.

The film includes many archival materials: film archives, photographs as well as reproductions of unknown paintings and drawings from the period of occupation.

GENRE:
documentary
RUNNING TIME:
58'
YEAR:
DIRECTING:
Iwo Książek, Adrianna Książek (Dunin-Wąsowicz)
SCRIPT:
Iwo Książek, Adrianna Książek (Dunin-Wąsowicz)
MUSIC:
Michał Dymny
PRODUCTION:
Studio-11
COPRODUCTION:
Telewizja Polska S.A. Kanał Kultura

Iwo Książek »

Filmmaker, designer. Founder of Studio-11, a film production company, and photography and design studio. Co-director with Adrianna Ksiazek of the documentary film „Kantor’s Circle“. In 2010 he was the director of photography and producer of „A Mangle Press“(Silver Eye Award Nominee in 2011). In 2014-2015 he realized with Adrianna Ksiazek, 25 Interviews with  actors of Tadeusz Kantor’s Theatre Cricot 2 for the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA.

With the director Katarzyna Zimmerer he realized film projects for The Historical Museum of the City of Krakow (for the permanent exhibition „ Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945 in Oskar Schindler's Factory). In 2005, he realized the remake of the happening „Linia Podzialu“ during the exhibition of  photographs of Tadeusz Kantor’s happening (Linia Podzialu, 1965). Graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow – Department of Industrial and Graphic Design.

Adrianna Książek (Dunin-Wąsowicz) »

Born in Paris, director and editor. Co-director with Iwo Ksiazek of the documentary film „Kantor’s Circle“. In 2010, she directed the documentary film "A Mangle Press". In 2009, during the documentary film training „Aristoteles Workshop" (supported by the TV Channel Arte) she worked as a DoP and editor on the film „Cautare/Quest" directed by Ionut Piturescu, awarded in 2010 in Cannes. Graduate from a Master's degree of Art History from the Sorbonne, a Master's degree of Comparative Civilizations Studies from the Jagiellon University of Krakow and a Diploma of Theatre Studies from the University of Provence.