THE BIRTH OF THE SOLIDARITY

POLISH TITLE: NARODZINY SOLIDARNOŚCI

A unique record of the political atmosphere in Poland after the shipyard workers’ strikes in 1980 and before the registration of the Solidarity trade union. The film shows that short moment when the workers realised their own power. It makes a difference for social reality whether a general strike is a possibility or it is perceived as a myth.
 

GENRE:
documentary
COUNTRY:
Polska
RUNNING TIME:
29'
YEAR:
DIRECTING:
Bohdan Kosiński
SCRIPT:
Bohdan Kosiński
DOP:
Michał Bukojemski
PRODUCTION:
WFDiF (Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych)

Bohdan Kosiński »

 Born in 1922. After graduating from the ŁódźŸ Film, Television and Theatre School, he started work in the Documentary Film Studio in Warsaw in 1955. He made a few dozen documentary films, two of which, "‘Na torach" ("On the railway line")’ from 1971 and "‘Budowałem miasto" ("I was building a city")’ from 1972 were awarded the Golden Hobby-Horse of Cracow. He also collaborated in the production of the most important films about the political turmoil in 1970 and 1980: ‘"Robotnicy 71, nic o nas bez nas" ("Workers 71, nothing about us without us’") made by Kieœślowski and Zygadło and "‘Robotnicy 80" ("Workers 80")’ made by Chodakowski and Zajączkowski. In 1971 together with Krzysztof Kieśœlowski and Tomasz Zygadło, he issued
‘"Documentary film makers about the documentary film"’, a manifesto showing the authors’ commitment to social issues.