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4th Annual Polish Film Festival in Western New York

The Polish Legacy Project in coordination with the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College is presenting the 4th Annual Polish Film Festival. The festival features the screenings of new Polish films: Kinematograf (Animation, 12—, 2009) and Mała Moskwa, Little Moscow (114—, 2008).

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St. North Tonawanda, (716) 692-2113

6:00 pm Kinematograf, Kinematograph (Animation, 12—, 2009). Dir. Tomek Bagiński

6:30 pm Mała Moskwa, Little Moscow (114—, 2008). Dir. Waldemar Krzystek. “Little Moscow” was the name given to Legnica where a garrison of the Soviet Red Army had been located since 1945. In the 1960s, every other inhabitant of Legnica was Russian. This is a true story about a forbidden love between a married Russian woman and a young officer of the Polish People’s Republic Army.

8:30 pm Meet the director, Waldemar Krzystek.

Friday, November 6, 2009
Montante Cultural Center, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, (716) 883-7000

6:00 pm Generał Nil, General Nil (120—, 2009). Dir. Ryszard Bugajski. The action of the film takes place between 1947 and 1953, and reconstructs the last years of general August Emil Fieldorf’s life (pseudonym “Nil”), a legendary commander in chief of Armia Krajowa Kedyw, who was falsely accused and sentenced to death by the communist regime. The film shows his return from the prisoners-of-war camp in the USSR, arrest, interrogation, and finally the period shortly before the verdict and his execution.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
Hamburg Palace, 31 Buffalo Street, Hamburg, (716) 649-2295

3:00 pm Children in Exile: Recollections of Children deported to he Soviet Gulag. (Documentary, 60′, 2007). Dir. Chris Swider

4:00 pm Rysa, Scratch (89—, 2008). Dir. Michał Rosa. Set in the contemporary university town of Kraków. Joanna and Jan are a middle-aged, loving married couple. One day Joanna receives a note from some obliging soul informing her about an alleged wicked deed committed by her husband in the past. The allegations gradually cast a shadow over their relationship.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Montante Cultural Center, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, (716) 883-7000

2:00 pm Ile waży koń trojański? How Much Does The Trojan Horse Weigh? (122—, 2008). Dir. Juliusz Machulski. It’s the dawn of the new millennium and successful businesswoman Zosia is celebrating her fortieth birthday with her dream partner, scriptwriter Kuba, and Florka, her daughter from her first marriage. She is quite unaware that her fond wish to be fifteen years younger is about to come true…

All films will feature English subtitles
General Admission $5

Media, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , ,

Videos from CNN’s Autumn of Change: Poland

Lights, camera … Poland
CNN’s Fred Pleitgen visits a Polish film school that has produced some of the world’s greatest filmmakers.

Polish economy going strong
CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen on the state of the Polish economy, which is faring much better than its neighbors.

Polish cuisine comeback
After the collapse of communism, Polish people also opted for fast food restaurants, but they are going back to their roots.

Birthplace of Solidarity
CNN’s Fred Pleitgen visits the town where Poland’s uprising against communism began.

Poland’s free media
Poland’s media has flourished since the fall of communism. CNN’s Fionnuala Sweeney reports.

Catholic Poland
Fred Pleitgen reports on the power and influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland.

Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , , , , ,

Polonian events in New York’s Capital Region

Parish Festival

St. Michael’s Parish Festival, 20 Page Ave, Cohoes, NY

Polish American Food, Games & Rides, Freckles’ the Clown, Children’s Activities, Vegas Games of Chance, Raffle, Chinese Auction, Dancing to the Rymanowski Brothers Orchestra and Tony’s Polka Band, Polish & American Craft Vendors, and Dance Groups

Friday, May 29th, 5pm-10pm
Saturday, May 30th, Noon – 10pm
Sunday, May 31st, Noon – 6pm

For more information please call 518-785-9002.

Screening of Andrzej Wajda’s Katyn

At Proctors Theater in Schenectady, Friday, May 22, 2009 at 2:30pm, 5:10pm & 7:45pm

This Oscar nominated film follows the story of four Polish families whose lives are torn apart when, at the outset of WWII, a great number of Polish soldiers fall into the hands of Soviet troops and later brutally become victims of Stalinism along with citizens in the Katyn forest in 1940.

This war drama is not rated. This film is in Polish, Russian and German with English subtitles. This film has a total running time of 121 minutes. Tickets are $6.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Media, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler

Premiering Sunday, April 19 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network

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Based up the true story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker in the early 1940s who is credited with saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children during World War II.

During the war Irena Sendler was able to move women in and out of the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto disguised as nurses working for the Warsaw’s Health Department. With the ruse of containing the spread of Typhus and Spotted Fever, Ms. Sendler and her fellow “nurses” were actually sneaking children out (with the consent of the Jewish parents) of the Ghetto by sedating them and hiding them inside boxes, suitcases and coffins as a way of saving them from deportation to German death camps. Once the children were snuck out they were given new identities and placed with Polish families or in convents to protect them. Ms. Sendler kept a record of all the children’s birth names and where they were placed hidden so once the war was over the children could be reunited with their families.

Unfortunately in 1943 Ms. Sendler’s deception was discovered and she was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo resulting with her feet being broken. She was scheduled to be executed but on the day of her execution she was rescued by “Zegota,” the same underground network she worked with to save the Jewish children. By the end of the war all of the 2,500 children she smuggled out were never betrayed or discovered by the Nazi German occupation forces.

Christian Witness, Media, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , ,

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler premiers April 19th

Please don’t miss the world premiere telecast on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 9pm.

The Hallmark Hall of Fame film by renowned TV director and producer John Kent Harrison is based on the true story of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, who was part of the Polish underground during World War II and was arrested and brutally tortured by the Nazi’s for saving the lives of nearly 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto.

On the day of her scheduled execution she was rescued by “Żegota—, the underground network with which she worked to save the Jewish children. She lived in Poland to the age of 98.

Canadian-born actress Anna Paquin, who plays Irena Sendler won an Oscar as a child for her work in “The Piano” and more recently a Golden Globe Award.

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The best of the best

Two things I wanted to mention.

Everyone Prays at Holy Etchmiadzin

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity our local ecumenical group held its meeting at St. Peter’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Fr. Bedros was the gracious host as always, providing for our needs, both spiritual and material.

Those who read my posts rather regularly might note that I have a great deal of love and admiration for St. Peter’s and its people and pastors (past and present — currently Fr. Bedros, and previously Fr. Stepanos, and Fr. Garen). The parish staff at St. Peter’s generously support our little ecumenical organization by looking after mailing lists and other administrative duties. In addition to all that – they always prepare a wonderful meal.

Fr. Bedros was good enough to provide for a viewing of Everyone Prays at Holy Etchmiadzin. The production was slated for viewing on ABC affiliates across the country. Unfortunately, our local ABC affiliate, WTEN, declined to air the film noting that they ‘don’t do religious programming,’ or words to that affect. The Capital Region lost because of that attitude.

I highly recommend the firm. It has a distinctly ecumenical overtone, and shows the Church as one with its faithful and its communities. One of the most moving parts was the descrioption of the Holy Muron and the visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, to the United States. Imagine the Bishop of Rome visiting New Orleans, rolling up his cassock sleeves, and painting homes being built by Habitat for Humanity and you’ll get the picture. The film is available from St. Vartan’s Bookstore for only $20.

The Hours on your iPhone or iPod Touch

As you may have noted, I link to the Universalis site which provides the Liturgy of the Hours. I was pleased to learn that Universalis has published Universalis on the iPhone. The application is rather expensive, but well worth it (as opposed to buying the four volume set of the Hours) and it is reasonable in terms of the convenience the application provides.

It should be noted that a few of the readings for the Office of Readings are still missing, and the application is currently being updated so as to include all the antiphons. The updates are free. The other nice thing about Universalis is that you do not need 3G or Wi-Fi to access any of it, it sits right on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Universalis for the iPhone and iPod Touch (available at the iTunes store) has enhanced my ability to pray the hours wherever I may happen to be. It is convenient, easy to use, and works seamlessly with the accelerometer. If you have an iPhoe or iPod Touch I highly recommend this app.

Christian Witness, Perspective, ,

Validation

A short film starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer: Kurt Kuenne. It runs a little over 16 minutes. All about the magic of looking for the best in people, and about our ability to touch people. This movie has played at 34 film festivals worldwide and won 17 awards.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Irena Sendler projects

Four years ago, I first began filming Irena Sendler in Warsaw where she lives in a medical home. At 94, she still remembered how she and her friends in the Polish resistance risked torture and death to resue thousands of Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto. This is their story — Mary Skinner, Producer and Director of “In the Name of Their Mothers.”

In the Name of Their Mothers is the film chronicling the work of Irena and her compatriots in Żegota. An advance screening of the film was held on Wednesday, November 12th at CREEES – Stanford University.

To learn more about the film and to view clips visit the film’s website.

More information about Irena is available at Life in a Jar:

In the fall of 1999, a rural Kansas teacher encouraged four students to work on a year long National History Day project which would among other things; extend the boundaries of the classroom to families in the community, contribute to history learning, teach respect and tolerance, and meet our classroom motto, —He who changes one person, changes the world entire—.

Students from rural Kansas, discover a Catholic woman, who saved Jewish children. Few had heard of Irena Sendlerowa in 1999, now after 250 presentations of Life in a Jar, a web site with huge usage and world-wide media attention, Irena is known to the world. How did this beautiful story develop?/blockquote>

Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Film, Battle for Warsaw, on tour with BBC filmmaker Wanda Koscia

Via Poland in the Rockies, Wanda Koscia’s film, Battle for Warsaw will be shown in the following locations starting October 19th:

  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 19, 2:30pm, Mississauga Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium, 301 Burnhamthorpe Road
  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 20, 6:30pm, University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, 75 Queen’s Park Crescent, Room 001
  • Chicago, October 22, 7:00pm, The Chopin Theater, 1543 W Division St., Chicago, IL 60642
  • Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 26, 2:00pm, De Sève Cinema, Concordia University, 1400 de Maisonneuve West

Born in London of Polish parents, Wanda Koscia is a Producer/Director specializing in history and current affairs for the BBC. For over two decades she worked extensively across the former Soviet bloc on a number of major television series, including: The Struggles for Poland (1985), The Other Europe (1988), The Hand of Stalin. Leningrad (1989), The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1990), Death of Yugoslavia (1995), Tourists of the Revolution (1998). Other credits include Intelligence to Please part of Discovery series Why Intelligence Fails (2004) and several years on the BBC flagship history program, Timewatch. Also at the BBC she made over three hours of documentary films to accompany Dunkirk, a major factual drama. Her interviews were then made into an award winning documentary: The Soldiers Story. In 2005 she made a film about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (featuring an interview with her own mother who was a participant aged 16). The Battle of Warsaw was shown on Discovery Europe and the BBC. In the mid 1980s, Wanda spent a year at Radio Free Europe working in the Research Department’s Underground Publications Unit. During the 1980s she was active in the Solidarity support group in London.

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