Screenings will feature a video introduction by Daniel Bird on behalf of Andrzej Jaroszewicz, camera operator on The Devil and frequent collaborator of Andrzej Żuławski.
During the Prussian army's invasion of Poland in 1793, a young Polish nobleman, Jakub, is saved from imprisonment by a stranger, who in return wants to obtain a list of his fellow conspirators. Following his mysterious savior across the country, Jakub sees the overall chaos and moral corruption, including his father's death and the betrayal of his friend who stole his fiancee. Becoming apparently demented by what he has seen, he commits a number of seemingly motiveless and gory killings.
An allegory for the political crisis in Poland during 1968, when communist leaders created riots to punish student, the film was shelved upon completion by the government. It was accused of excess of violence and erotic scenes, but the political undertones of Żuławski’s film were more objectionable to the government. The film had to wait 16 years for its cinema premiere and was not released to the public until 1988. Before this happened, however, Żuławski was forced to leave Poland, deprived of the chance to make films in his country, he left for France to continue his career there.
About Daniel Bird:
Daniel Bird is a writer based in France. Since interviewing him as a student, he has worked frequently with Andrzej Żuławski, helping with the North American release of the director’s cut of Possession, as well as assisting with subtitling, restorations, and script editing. Alongside curated programmes at Ciné Lumière and the Horse Hospital, Daniel has also worked with some of Żuławski’s key collaborators including composer Andrzej Korzyński, cinematographer Andrzej J. Jaroszewicz, and costume designer Magdalena Tesławska.
