Kino Polski

The journey is over, but the blogs continue!

The Polish Film Institute in Warsaw

Film is a vital part of Poland's culture. As a filmmaker and film educator, I was so excited to explore the rich history and continuing legacy of filmmaking in Poland. Although I didn't end up seeing all of the institutions and aspects of Polish cinema that I had hoped, I was inspired and reinvigorated by my "Kino" experiences in Poland. I was certainly aware of some of the history of Poland's involvement in the emergence of film, but as I prepared for my trip I learned just how extensive their role was. As part of the Russian Empire in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Poland was at the forefront of breakthroughs in film arts and technology. The first cinema in Poland opened in Lodz in 1899. Patents from Polish inventors and cinematographers predate those of the Lumiere brothers. Polish film history is completely parallel to the development of the film craft as a whole. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn more.

Fabular Film Studios in Wroclaw - check out those statues!

One of the elements of Poland's culture that was so amazing to me was just how integrated films arts are with the overall creative environment. There were sculptures honoring great filmmakers in Warsaw's beautiful Lazienki Park, film and video installations in all of the significant museums (whether they were cultural, art, or historical museums), and an overwhelming cinematic presence in daily life through posters, festivals and film venues. Some of the highlights for me were visiting the Museum of Kinematografii in Lodz and the Fabular Film Studio in Wroclaw. The Museum of Kinematografii is located in one of the many grand palaces we saw during our trip. It has a great collection of early through contemporary filmmaking equipment, posters, props, and other film paraphernalia. The Fabular Film Studio is located just outside of Centennial Hall in Wroclaw and has a regal presence in the town. The statues in front of the domed building give a real sense of the communist film spirit. My planned professional day at the studio didn't work out in the end, but it was still was wonderful to have a chance to see it. I was also supposed to spend some time at the legendary National Film School in Lodz. Boasting an alumni list including the best of Poland's filmmakers, from Andrzej Wajda and Roman Polanski to Krysztof Kieslowwski, the National Film School is a real treasure for Poland. Unfortunately, again, I my visit fell through - so I don't really have much first-hand knowledge of the school - but I hope to have a chance to visit sometime in the future!

 One of my favorite parts of being in Poland was all of the wonderful public art, street art, graffiti, and poster art in every city we visited. Film posters were everywhere and they were awesome. There were posters for current films around town on the streets, in bathroom stalls, and just about everywhere else you looked. There were also some pretty incredible film poster exhibitions at a couple of the museums we visited. The Museum of Kinematografii in Lodz had great old silent film posters featuring Pola Negri and other icons of the era, as well as a fantastic Marilyn Monroe exhibition featuring Polish versions of her film posters. Also, in one of several magical, mystery moments that occurred throughout Poland, our tour guide at the Museum of Warmia and Masury in Olsztyn - which mostly focused on Polish history and Copernicus - said, "Are you interested in Polish culture?" We all immediately replied, "Yes!" at which point he proceeded to take us up to an attic-type space that included two of my favorite exhibitions of the whole trip. One was a presentation of the work of a famous Polish artist, Edward Dwurnik - who I had never previously heard of but now LOVE. The other was a gallery of communist-era film posters that was absolutely incredible. In the attic! Oh, Poland - you're the best.

 

Another thing that was surprising to me was how many film festivals there are in Poland. It seemed like every time we arrived in a city I discovered that we had just missed - or would be leaving right before - their big film festival. I would regularly see posters for student and amateur film competitions, as well. Some of the bigger festivals in Poland (that I'm aware of) are the Krakow Film Festival, the Warsaw International Film Festival, the Gdynia Film Festival (which we missed by 2 days!) and the Torun Film Festival (or "Tofifest") which was, of course, beginning right after we left. Even if I didn't have a chance to participate in the festivals, it was really inspiring to see how much focus and energy is put towards celebrating film in Poland. 

Basically, film was everywhere in Poland and I loved it. There were big, multiplex cinemas all over the place - but even those had a different feel to them somehow. They seemed like they incorporated art into their mission, more than just commerce. (See the photo below for an example of what one of their lobbies was like.) We saw large groups of school children exiting movie theaters, just as we had seen them at museums and castles. Many of the young people we met said they learned English from watching movies. There were films - many American films - on television all the time. One thing that I found strange was the dubbing practice in Poland. Instead of replacing the audio track with a complete track of new voices, the original audio was just slightly lowered and a single voice seemed to be reading the dialogue in sync with the film. At first, I found this very annoying. I actually still find it annoying. However, I was speaking to a young man from the Olsztyn Rotaract about it and he pointed out that the "other" method of dubbing was really quite a bit worse. "Their way," you can still hear the original actors' voices and all of the diegetic sound - instead of "our way" wherein you lose half of the film experience as the audio is totally replaced. Anyway, we both agreed that subtitles are the obvious way to go. But I digress... back to my original point: Film in Poland rocked my world. Thanks for that.

Posted by Jessica

Museum Mania!!!

Well our trip is sadly coming to an end. We have had so many amazing experiences here in Poland thanks to numerous Rotary and Rotaract Clubs. I hope to come back again someday.

From folk art at the Lublin Castle Museum

 I was able to visit over 20 museums throughout the country and have learned so much about Poland's rich culture and history. There are so many stories to tell and much more to learn.

and ethnographic museums in Torun and Olsztynek...

to contemporary art at MS and MS2 in Lodz 

and in Olsztyn.

From archaeology

at the museum in Wroclaw...

to astronomy in Torun

and Olsztyn.

 From devastation in Warsaw ...

to fostering creativity in Lodz.

It is obvious that Poland has an enduring spirit, a passion for enjoying life and people who really care about preserving and sharing all of these stories. We were lucky enough to be toured around musuems by conservators, facilities directors, educators and often to areas that are generally closed to the public. Thank you to all the people who took time out of their busy schedules to make this possible!

Inspiration from Students and Rotarians

Lodz is a city of reinvention and perseverance. It has overcome foreign occupation, the collapse of its textile manufacturing economy, and the horror of Nazi-imposed ghettos and death camps. Today, we learned about the small triumphs that are still occurring every day in this beautiful city.

We visited a school for physically and mentally disabled children and young adults. We were warmly greeted by the school's director and staff before being treated to a delightful student performance of "Puss in Boots". The enthusiasm and excitement that the kids exhibited during their performance was contagious - it was definitely the highlight of my day.

We were then taken on a tour of the student facilities. Some of the students are permanent residents of the school, while others spend part of their time at the school and part with their families. Despite somewhat limited resources and some recent cut-backs, the school provides medical care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, life management training, general education, and arts education. In addition to theatre, many students learn painting, woodworking, felting, cross-stitching, and other crafts. Some of the students have become such skilled artisans that their works are sold throughout Poland and the world. 

 

The school has been aided by Rotarians around the world. In addition to donations from Australia, the U.S. and elsewhere, Rotarians in Lodz have aided in purchasing mini-buses, a lawnmower and kitchen equipment for the schools. All of these items ensure that the students can learn additional skills, have the care they need and engage in their community.

The most heart-warming part of the experience for me was witnessing the obvious affection shared between the teachers, staff and students. The teachers were patient and encouraging. The students' faces would light up each time we walked into a room with the school's director. He demonstrated a deeply-felt sense of warmth and kindness and seemed to have a personal relationship with each one of the 126 students in his care. I was truly in awe of the students, staff and rotarians who made this school possible.

-Posted by Jessica

Lodz- City of Reinvention

We are now in lovely Lodz (sounds like woodge.) This city is different from the other cities we've visited as it has no central old town/city square area. Wroclaw (vroswav), where we just left, is pictured here for comparison.

Lodz is a city that was established through industry. There were hundereds of textile factories, the buildings built to house the factory workers and an occassional palace where the factory owners would live. It was a thriving industrial city until (believe it or not) the US outlawed slavery. This so drastically reduced the supply of cotton available for these factories that the whole industry essentially collapsed. It is likely that other factors played a role, too, but this definitley contributed to the decline.

In the enduring spirit of Polish reinvention, Lodz is now renovating these old factory buildings to house museums, offices, etc. The largest project to date is called Manufactura and is now a thriving alternative to a town square.  There is a factory museum there as well as numerous shops, eateries, movie theater, performance spaces, art galleries, public art and venues for all sorts of festivals and events. 

One of the larger buildings has been beatuifully preserved/restored as a hotel that uses the old water storage tank as the swimming pool and nicely blends the feel of the original building with some modern updates necessary to make it a functioning hotel.

Also on property is the longest fountain in Europe, which marks where a river used to run through the town.

The fatory was owned by a Jewish family whose mausoleum we happend to see in the Jewish cemetary we visited today. As I understand, a French company is responsible for funding the Manufactura project.

 We are doing so much here everyday and there are countless interesting stories and photos we'd like to share. It may take a while...

Wroclaw

A snapshot of an incredible lights & sound show at a large fountain space next to Centennial Hall in Wroclaw.  It's done twice a night and it's free to the public!

Our internet access isn't always predictable, so bear with us as we travel, we are trying to post updates as often as we can.  We've just spent a few days in wonderful Wroclaw, where we've had vocational days, museum visits, club presentations, a BBQ, and fun times spent with new friends.  It has been most interesting not only to see what we've learned from our Polish counterparts, but seeing what new insights we bring to them too.

-posted by Mary

Polish Folklore 101: Vampires, Zmory and the Devil's Paw

We have seen so many wonderful things on our journey to Poland and can now add Lublin Castle to the Top Ten list.

The day started with a behind the scenes tour of the preservation and conservation department. Here we saw painting is several stages of the restoration process. It can take anywhere from one month to one year of continuous work to restore a painting to its original glory.

One of the most intriguing things has been the Folklore exhibit at Lublin Castle.

In the Spirits Room, we learned about Polish customs used to protect from vampires and a demon called Zmory - believed to take form in a man's seventh daughter.

To protect against these mythical creatures, the folklore states people would place a trail of poppy seeds leading from the front door. Before a vampire could enter a home, he would first have to count each poppy seed; this would hopefully protect the home until morning.



Stakes and garlic were not able to kill a vampire, only stop it in its tracks. Once stunned, the vamipires head would need to be cut off with a large saw.

For protection against the Zmory, a chalk circle was drawn around a bed and a  row of knives place by the bedside. It was believed that once a target, the Zmory would try to enter a person's sleeping quarters to posess them.  Someone would need to sit by the target's bedside to ensure the Zmory did not break the circle.

Also of interest was the Devil's Paw. A large wooden table used for signing important documents had a hand etched in the middle. It was believed that if a person placed thier hand atop the etching and it was a perfect fit, they had the devil inside them.

Luckily, I passed the test!

New Old and Old Old

We left Warsaw yesterday after a wonderful stay. It is a beautiful and vibrant city with one of the most interesting histories of any city I've been to. In addition to the Warsaw Uprising, the story of Old Town is very fascinating. The city was essentially leveled during WWII. However many years previous to the war there was an Italian painter who was enamoured with the city and painted the buildings in great detail. During the post-war reconstrucion efforts these paintings were used as references to recreate this part of the city as it had been many years ago. Although the locals informed us that it is mainly tourists who visit this area, it is quaint, charming and made us all crave ice cream! (They sell it on every corner it seems.)

We are now in Lublin which has a similar feel, but these buildings really are hundreds of years old! The locals take great pride in the fact that these are original, and for good reason. When we were asked why we keep taking photos of  "things that are ugly" (referring to the areas of the buildings that are showing wear) we had to admit that it just feels special somehow...

And while we did not end up getting ice cream from any of the street vendors, we did have the opportunity to indulge at a lovely restaurant that used to be a water powered grain mill.

Greetings from Lublin!

After three wonderful and exciting days in Warsaw, including our first Rotary Club presentation (in Polish!)...

we have arrived in the beautiful and historical city of Lublin.

Our Warsaw host families were so incredibly gracious and hospitable and it is already clear that the same will be true in Lublin. We can't wait to see all of the sights. 

-Posted by Jessica

Warsaw, then and now

Today was a day spent learning about Warsaw. We started off at the Warsaw Rising Museum, a museum dedicated to telling the story of the Polish attempt to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany in World War II.  The museum is extremely interesting to walk through, with interactive exhibits, like the beating Listening Wall--lean in toward one of the "bullet holes" in the wall to hear some of the different sounds from the war.  The heartbeat can be heard from almost every area of the museum. 

It was eye-opening as well.  I do not recall learning about the Warsaw Uprising in history class back in school--and I also do not believe I had ever heard of "Black Saturday" before...when thousands of civilians, regardless of age or sex, were brutally murdered, even set on fire while alive, by the Nazis.  Perhaps it was taught to me, but it shall definitely never escape my memory ever again.

There was also an excellent and moving film we watched called (in English) City of Ruins.  It's the a digital 3D reconstruction of a bombed Warsaw in 1945. Warsaw had 900.000 inhabitants in 1944-- in 1945 only 1,000 were left.  One thousand people among the ruins...

After the museum we went to Old Town, which is essentially a reconstruction of what the buildings and streets looked like before they were all destroyed. Walking around, I tried to imagine what it was like originally, and the stories of the people who lived and breathed in that time...before the war took all of that away. 

It's amazing to walk through this city today and see and feel the vibrancy of the people: Strong hearts, strong spirits.

-contributed by Mary

Meet the Out-Bound GSE Team!

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) is designed as is a cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for business people and professionals between the ages of 25-40 who are in the early stages of their careers. GSE provided study grants to the team members, who will experience the host country’s culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships and exchange ideas.

Though the program is a wonderful opportunity to visit a new culture, the study exchange is not a vacation. Team members are learning to speak Polish so they can present their programs to Rotary clubs in the native language.

The out-bound team from District 6960 will travel to Poland (District 2230) and will stay with Rotarians during the four-week program. The in-bound team from District 2230 arrived in southwest Florida on May 14 and will be traveling through District 6960 for the next four weeks.

Meet the out-bound team from District 6960:

Team Leader- Sandra Scoggins

I live in Naples, Florida with my dog Sophie. I work with a charity organization that does sustainable humanitarian projects in Guatemala to provide primary education, as well as the basic necessities of clean water and food. Since becoming a Rotarian with the Bonita Springs Club, I have led 10 international projects that helped about 100,000 people get clean drinking water in Guatemala and India. I serve on the Board of Directors for my club and I will be the District Grants Coordinator for 2011-2012. I have two grown daughters and a one-year-old granddaughter. When I’m not working, I enjoy ballroom dancing, yoga and travel.

Team Member- Mary Brown

I'm 31 years old and have lived in Bradenton, Florida for almost 10 years. I was born in Rome, New York and grew up in a very rural, agricultural environment. After high school, I attended the State University of Geneseo at New York and graduated with a degree in English literature. I have a very creative mind and have always loved to write. In my spare time I focus on writing screenplays and scripts for television shows. Currently, I am a manager and copywriter for the Johnson Smith Company, a mail-order catalog business. We mail our catalogs all across the United States and Canada. I am looking forward to exploring my Polish heritage while here in Poland!

Team Member- Amara Cocilovo

I am 35 years old. I grew up in the mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico, but now live about 1,500 miles away in Bradenton, Florida with my husband, Slade and our cat, Milo. I work at a wonderful museum planning special events and educational programs for adults and children. I volunteer on many community development projects and am passionate about arts and culture, preservation of our natural environment and supporting local farmers and businesses. I also enjoy practicing yoga, traveling, reading, dancing and listening to lots of different kinds of music.

Team Member – Jessica Schubick

I am 31 years old. My family has lived in Bradenton, Florida for more than 20 years. After graduating with a degree in filmmaking from New York University, I briefly moved to Los Angeles, California. It was great to see the West Coast of the United States, but I ultimately decided to move back to Florida for work and to be closer to my family and friends. I worked for a film festival for a few years before moving on to my current job at the South Florida Museum where I program a weekly film series and work on various educational projects for children and adults. I live with my mom and our two adorable dogs, and I enjoy traveling, writing, and watching movies in my free time.

Team Member- Carla Ulakovic

I'm 27 years old and live in Fort Myers, Florida.  After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Public Relations, I traveled to Australia as District 6960’s Ambassadorial Scholar. While in Queensland, I earned a Masters of the Arts in Communication and Advertising at Bond University. I have strong interest in the environment, travel as well as arts and culture. I now work for a water management district in Lehigh Acres, Florida creating public education programs, writing grants, and working with newspapers to help raise awareness on water quality and conservation issues. I freelance as the public relations liaison for a museum and gallery and am president-elect of the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA.

This is the first all female GSE team from district 6960 in Southwest Florida, United States of America.