Censored film wins

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 12

Censored film wins

NZPA-Reuter Warsaw A Polish film shelved for many years for its bleak depiction of Communist. repression in the 1940 s has won a national award and praise as an outstanding achievement of Polish cinema. “Matka Krolow” (“The Mother of the Krol Family”), directed by Janusz Zaorski in 1982, drew long, steady applause from subdued audiences when first shown publicly in a small Warsaw cinema last March. On Friday it won the Grand Prix at a festival of feature films in the Baltic port of Gdynia, Where the jury called it "not only outstanding among the director’s works, but also among the best achievements of Polish cinema”.

Held up by the censor, Matka Krolow was not only politically sensitive, but also based on a ndvel by Kazimierz Brandys, a writer who has in the past incurred official disapproval. Its release this year, on a limited showing, indicates a slow thaw in cultural policy in line with the spirit of “glasnost”, or openness, blowing across Eastern Europe from the Soviet Union. Starkly shot in black and white and interwoven with documentary and newsreel from the period, it traces the fate of the Polish Communists from an idealistic underground movement in the 1920 s to power in the 19405. .Its grim story of bergttrah , corruption and repression is shown

through the eyes of the Krol Mother, whose son Klemens, an ardent Communist supporter, falls victim to the Stalinists. Magda Wojcik, in the lead role as the mother, was awarded the 'best actress prize at the festival. Zaorski graduated from the film school at Lodz, which has . produced directors like the inter-nationally-acclaimed Andrzej Wajda. He also worked at the renowned state film studio X from * her e Wada’s Solidarity film "Man of Iron” emerged. «. Anot s, er controversial The Incident, by Krzysztof Kieslowskt lay on f o r five.y«ars, W ona