| Walesa: Man of Hope | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Robert Więckiewicz as Lech Wałęsa | |
| Directed by | Andrzej Wajda[1] |
| Screenplay by | Janusz Głowacki |
| Story by | Janusz Głowacki[2] |
| Produced by | Michał Kwieciński |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Paweł Edelman |
| Edited by | Milenia Fiedler |
| Music by | Paweł Mykietyn |
Production companies | |
Release dates | |
| Country | Poland |
| Language | Polish |
| Budget | 3.5 million €[5] |
| Box office | $ 5 250 588[6] |
Walesa: Man of Hope (Polish:Wałęsa. Człowiek z nadziei[vaˈwɛ̃saˈt͡ʂwɔvjɛɡznaˈd͡ʑɛ.i]) is a 2013 Polishbiopic film directed byAndrzej Wajda, starringRobert Więckiewicz asLech Wałęsa. Wajda stated atKraków's Off Plus Camera Film Festival in April 2012 that he foresaw trouble following the film's release.[7] The film was selected as the Polish entry for theBest Foreign Language Film at the86th Academy Awards,[8] but was not nominated.
Wałęsa, an electrician at theGdańsk Shipyards, participated in local demonstrations during the 1970s.[9] Following the bloody aftermath, which remains with Wałęsa, he concentrates on his day-to-day duties. Ten years later, a new uprising occurs and he becomes an unexpected and charismatic leader of Polish dockworkers.[10]
Wałęsa's leadership role signified the beginning of a new movement that successfully overcame thecommunist regime of the period, and Wałęsa is pushed into representing the majority of Poland's population. TheSoviet Union, previously regarded as too powerful to confront, eventually grants the movement a degree of acceptance. The Polish example of solidarity then caused adomino effect throughoutEastern Europe: people inEastern Germany followed the Polish example, starting demonstrations for freedom that achieved theGerman reunification peacefully. The Soviet Union then dissolved alongsideSFR Yugoslavia.
While Europe is reshaped, Poland remains stable and peaceful. Yet a huge variety of political parties unfolds and Poland is on the brink of becoming as ungovernable as the lateWeimar Republic. Wałęsa is subsequently elected as the first president of the new Polish democracy; but, this is followed by feelings of resentment among the Polish people who start to think that Wałęsa is becoming privileged.[2] Consequently, the Polish people start to seek out ways to diminish Wałęsa's significance, until they finally accomplish their goal through uncovering actions from a past period.
In April 2011, Wajda said toThe Guardian that he intended to make a film to "shine new light on Lech Wałęsa",[11] while author Janusz Głowacki said the film "is not just going to be romanticism. There will be irony, too. Don't worry."[citation needed] Wajda also declared at a press conference that theNobel laureate and former president of Poland had condoned the project.[12]
Wajda stated that he considered the film the most difficult professional challenge of his filmmaking career thus far.[13] However, he showed a realisation of thecategorical imperative and quoted the famous slogan of Wałęsa, a personal friend: "Nie chcę, ale muszę" ("I don’t want to, but I have to").[14]
Monica Bellucci was considered for the role ofOriana Fallaci, butMaria Rosaria Omaggio was finally selected.[3]
Wajda announced his intention to blend real contemporary news material with the fictional content of the film[14] to "give testimony to the truth".[18] The contemporary footage was adapted by superimposing the face of Robert Więckiewicz on Wałęsa's real face.[19] The re-enacted scenes were shot "on location inGdańsk, including in the historic shipyard and its surroundings, as well as in Warsaw".[18] As Wajda told theChicago Tribune, theraison d'être of his work was not to entertain the Western world, but to disclose the historic truth for a Polish audience.[2]
Głowacki assured journalists that his script was not meant to be anapotheosis, but instead showed Wałęsa "as a man of flesh and blood, a leader of great strength but also someone who has his weaknesses".[18] The screenwriter was significantly affected upon discovering that Wajda sought to pursue the same approach and consequently "thought it would be an interesting project".[5]
In August 2012, a company known to financial experts as "Amber Gold" was considered as an investor for this film;[20] but, when the company was investigated, it withdrew from the production process.[21]
The film was on the program of the 2014 edition ofThailand's EU Film Festival, shown in the cities ofKhon Kaen,Chiang Mai andBangkok. Alongside films such as the Spanish featureThe Pelayos, the film was one of seven films that were shown in all three cities.[22]
