• Red & Black



Polish Animation: Masters of Animation



  • Introduction by
    Russell Merritt

    Russell Merritt is an adjunct professor in film studies at UC Berkeley; an animation expert, he is author, with J. B. Kaufman, of Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies.

The first program in our survey features masters of Polish animation and festival prizewinners from 1957 through 1984. Beginning with Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica’s extravagantly imaginative Once upon a Time . . ., combining cartoon lines with live action and photographs; Witold Giersz’s Red & Black, with the two colors pitted against each other; and Kazimierz Urbanski’s Sweet Rhythms, about bees and those who care for them, the stage is set for experimentation for decades to come.

Films in this Screening

Once upon a Time...
(Byl sobie raz...)

Walerian Borowczyk, Jan Lenica, Poland, 1957

FILM DETAILS 
Print Info
  • Color
  • Digital
  • 9 mins

Red & Black
(Czerwone i czarne)

Witold Giersz, Poland, 1963

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • Digital
  • 6 mins

The Flag
(Sztandar)

Miroslaw Kijowicz, Poland, 1965

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • Digital
  • 7 mins

Sweet Rhythms
(Stodkie rytmy)

Kazimierz Urbanski, Poland, 1965

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • 35mm
  • 7 mins

The Voyage
(Podroz)

Daniel Szczechura, Poland, 1970

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • 35mm
  • 7 mins

Son
(Syn)

Ryszard Czekata, Poland, 1970

FILM DETAILS 
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  • B&W
  • 35mm
  • 10 mins

Solo in a Fallow Field
(Solo na ugorze)

Jerzy Kalina, Poland, 1981

FILM DETAILS 
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  • B&W
  • 35mm
  • 7 mins

A Hard-Core Engaged Film. Non-camera
(Ostry film zaangazowany. Non-camera)

Julian Jozef Antonisz, Poland, 1979

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • Digital
  • 8 mins

Tango

Zbigniew Rybczynski, Poland, 1980

FILM DETAILS 
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  • Color
  • Digital
  • 8 mins

Splinters

Jerzy Kucia, Poland, 1984

FILM DETAILS 
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  • B&W
  • Digital
  • 10 mins