Machulski and His “Vinci”: A Polish-Style Heist

Machulski and His “Vinci”: A Polish-Style Heist

Juliusz Machulski has remained one of the most recognizable figures in Polish cinema for over four decades. A director, screenwriter, and producer, he is the author of films that both entertain and comment on reality. From the legendary Vabank and Sexmission, through Kingsajz and Kilerów 2-óch, to the more recent Vinci and Vinci 2, Machulski has consistently combined light, dynamic storytelling with an ironic view of the world.

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Machulski i jego „Vinci”, czyli heist po polsku

Machulski i jego „Vinci”, czyli heist po polsku

Juliusz Machulski od ponad czterech dekad pozostaje jednym z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych twórców polskiego kina. Reżyser, scenarzysta, producent – autor filmów, które bawią, ale i komentują rzeczywistość. Od legendarnego Vabanku i Seksmisji, przez Kingsajz i Kilerów 2-óch, aż po współczesne Vinci i Vinci 2 – Machulski konsekwentnie łączy lekkość narracji z ironicznym spojrzeniem na świat. 

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The True Chopin

The True Chopin

Michał Kwieciński’s new film Chopin, Chopin! has sparked a wave of emotions and debate in Poland. For some, it is a groundbreaking work in the way it portrays the composer; for others – a controversial one. The director moves away from the romantic myth of the “suffering poet of the piano” and instead presents a living, energetic man struggling with illness, fame, and his own genius.

Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka speaks with the director about the film, its origins, and the Chopin we have never known.

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Chopin prawdziwy

Chopin prawdziwy

Nowy film Michała Kwiecińskiego Chopin, Chopin! wywołał w Polsce falę emocji i dyskusji. Dla jednych to dzieło przełomowe w sposobie ukazania postaci kompozytora, dla innych – kontrowersyjne. Reżyser odchodzi od romantycznego mitu „cierpiącego poety fortepianu” i pokazuje człowieka żywego, pełnego energii, zmagającego się z chorobą, sławą i własnym geniuszem.

Z reżyserem o filmie, jego genezie i Chopinie, jakiego nie znaliśmy – rozmawia Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka.

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The Piano and the Pen

The Piano and the Pen

Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka (Austin, Texas)

When, in the mid-1990s, I became the Polish press officer for the Chopin Festival in Nohant, I could never have imagined what a long and extraordinary adventure my encounter with Fryderyk Chopin and George Sand would become.

It was a warm summer. The whole region of Berry was in bloom, its meadows spread across rolling hills. From time to time, the view was crossed by a stream and, beside it, a mill surrounded by a tangle of wild grapevines climbing the stone walls, with the mill wheel turning in rhythm with the falling water. A pond or a lake added shades of blue to the green–yellow–red palette of the landscape. Tiny houses with picturesque shutters and tiled roofs, nestled in lush greenery in small hamlets, were a constant feature of the area—just like the numerous, still fairly well-preserved medieval castles scattered throughout the region.

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