21/02/2022
film screening and discussion
Bad Luck
Od–jazd Film Club meeting
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Bad Luck
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[Zezowate szczęście], directed by Andrzej Munk, Poland 1960, 107’
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- Jan Piszczyk is the unluckiest man in Polish cinema. From early childhood, he tries his best to adapt to current social and political trends. Unfortunately, it’s hard to keep up with the changing world, and successive attempts to meet its demands turn into a series of failures and compromises. At last, with the coming of the People’s Republic of Poland that systematically rewards opportunism, it seems like fate has finally smiled at Piszczyk. Not for long.
- Film about tragicomic adventures of Jan Piszczyk is a must see among the achievements of Polish cinematography. The quintessence of the post-Stalinist thaw in the cinema, an atypical journey through Polish history, told through a skilful play with film conventions. Andrzej Munk reckons with national myths, and the blade of satire strikes so accurately that laughter freezes on our lips.
- What role did Andrzej Munk’s work play in Polish cinematography?
- How to portray an opportunist with the language of film?
- Attempting to show a perfect slave, did Munk come close to opportunism himself by attacking those who had lost?
- We will try to answer these and many other questions together with our club's expert, Dr Mikołaj Mirowski (PhD). We invite you to the screening and discussion, during which you will be able to ask questions or share your ideas on how to interpret the film. What do you think Bad Luck is about? We want to hear your opinion!
- Dr Mikołaj Mirowski (PhD)
- historian, publicist, editor-in-chief of the quarterly Pleograf published by the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute. Collaborator of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, the Polish History Museum and the Museum of Independence Traditions in Łódź. He specializes in the history of USSR and Polish-Jewish relations. Screenwriter of the TV programme Pojedynki stulecia [Duels of the Century] about the most outstanding Polish writers of the 20th century, broadcast in 2018 in TVP Kultura channel. Since 2019 he has hosted the series Teatr Historii [Theatre of History] in TVP Historia channel, presenting the most interesting plays of the TV Theatre on historical topics. Author of books, including Piłsudski (nie)znany. Historia i popkultura [Piłsudski Unknown. History and Pop Culture] (2018). Polish cinema enthusiast who greatly appreciates work by Wajda, Kawalerowicz and Kutz and loves Wojciech Jerzy Has’s cinema, above all The Saragossa Manuscript.
