August 8, 3:00PMFinsbury Park Picturehouse
dir. Grzegorz Królikiewicz
Poland, 1978, 98 mins
August 7, 6:30PM
Genesis Cinema
Michal Toporny is a poor country boy whose determination and hard work help him climb the social ladder and become the head of a large factory in the city. But at what cost?
A peasant’s son rises through the ranks of post-war Polish society like none of his ancestors ever could. Moving to the city, he becomes part of a new socialist order. But in leaving his rural roots behind, does he also abandon his soul? Taking inspiration from Orson Welles’ monumental saga Citizen Kane, Grzegorz Królikiewicz crafts a viscerally affecting portrait of a changing country through the fate of a man ruined by ambition.
Strikingly original compositions from cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczyński and absorbing sound design capture the psychic toll of capitalism and urbanization in Filmoteka Narodowa’s new 4K restoration.
This screening will be preceded by an intro.
starring —
