Comedy, according to Sigmund Freud, allows people to express forbidden thoughts. Under communism, this naturally transgressive genre faces an additional hurdle—communist jokes are only funny if everyone gets them. The comedic filmmakers of communist Poland, such as Marek Piwowski and Juliusz Machulski, excelled at their craft. Their films allowed the people not only to laugh at the surreal reality of communist Poland but to understand and critique the shortcomings of the communist system.
Comedy vs. Communism: A Retrospective of Polish Cult Comedies from Communist Times celebrates film as a tool of resistance to totalitarian tyranny and political satire as a means of beginning the process of reestablishing political liberty.
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation hosted virtual film screenings from June 20th-27th, followed by a Q&A discussion with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in VOC’s Poland Studies program in which she answered questions arising from the films and their portrayal of the surreal life in communist Poland.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
The Cruise
The Cruise by Marek Piwowski (1970)
1:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
3:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Surreal journey on Vistula River where a little boat becomes a symbol of contemporary Poland with its passengers representing all social strata of Polish society. This was the first film to symbolically laugh at the system and not with the system. Situational humor is mixed with hilarious dialogue and strange situations with roles played mostly by amateurs.
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Man – Woman Wanted
Man – Woman Wanted by Stanisław Bareja (1973)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Polish version of Mrs. Doubtfire. Man accused of stealing a painting hides and starts working as a female maid, observing many absurdities of Communist reality. He moves from one family to another and with him we observe different aspects of Polish society.
Monday, June 22, 2020
A Jungle Book of Regulations
A Jungle Book of Regulations by Stanisław Bareja (1974)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
A parody of the communist housing legal system. A married couple gets a chance to move into a long awaited one-bedroom apartment, but everything then starts to go wrong. Things escalate quickly and soon the dreamlike situation spins out of control.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
What Will You Do When You Catch Me?
What Will You Do When You Catch Me? by Stanisław Bareja (1978)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
A state-owned company director tries to navigate the unyielding communist reality, including in his homelife. His mistress is pregnant. As the daughter of a Communist Party official, he will need to marry her. But he must first divorce his wife—no mean feat in communist Poland! So he hires an old friend to spy on his wife in hopes of proving she is cheating on him and hilarity ensues.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear by Stanisław Bareja (1981)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
A masterpiece by the Polish champion of funny, absurd, and surreal everyday situations. His style, called Bareizm, has become paradigmatic and still stands for absurd humor. An ex-husband is trying to get to London before his ex-wife so he can close their shared account and keep all the money. He is ready to do anything to get a passport, even finding a lookalike who knows nothing of his plan.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
The Emergency Exit
The Emergency Exit by Roman Załuski (1984)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Rom-com with a twist. A corrupt female party leader tries to rule her little village and at the same time to control her family. But when her daughter gets pregnant by an unknown man, she needs to save face no matter the costs. She must quickly find a replacement—a young man ready to marry and then soon divorce her daughter—to avoid the scandal.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Sexmission
Sexmission by Juliusz Machulski (1984)
6:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
8:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Science fiction comedy serves as a metaphor for the harsh totalitarian reality. Two men are voluntarily hibernated only to wake up in a world where all men went extinct a long time ago. Needing to navigate a world where men are like dinosaurs, they must avoid falling prey to the plans of the ruler, Her Excellency, to preserve the female status quo.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
King Size
King Size by Juliusz Machulski (1988)
1:00 p.m. EST — Introduction
3:00 p.m. EST — Q&A with Dr. Anna Draniewicz, Research Fellow in Polish Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
A real gem from the Polish King of Comedy describing the communist social reality but dressed up as a fable. A society of dwarves living in Drawerland allows some of its members to travel to the normal world after taking the King Size potion. But soon the balance between the two worlds is shaken, as no one who visits the normal world wants to return to Drawerland. One of the dwarf scientists creates a mixture that lets them stay big forever, but the story doesn’t end there.
Honorary Patronage
H.E. Piotr Wilczek, Ambassador of Poland
