Polish animated film has always held a strong position on the international stage, winning countless awards at the most prestigious festivals worldwide. The Polish school of animation, led in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s by artists such as Jan Lenica, Walerian Borowczyk, Witold Giersz, Daniel Szczechura, Mirosław Kijowicz, Kazimierz Urbański, Ryszard Czekała, Jerzy Kucia, Zbigniew Rybczyński, and later Piotr Dumała, was regarded as highly as the "proper" Polish film school represented by Andrzej Wajda, Andrzej Munk, and Jerzy Kawalerowicz.
"Anima. Mistrzowie polskiej animacji / Masters of Polish Animation" is a comprehensive publication that explores the legacy of Polish auteur animation, both in a historical and thematic context. It highlights the work of its greatest representatives, from Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica to contemporary artists, already established in the global animation scene, with Marta Pajek being a prime example.
The book features 50 essays dedicated to Poland’s most distinguished animation masters (+ Intro—a brief history, and Outro—a look at emerging young talents with promising futures). It is accompanied by four DVDs containing 53 films, including one work from each discussed filmmaker. In addition to Borowczyk and Lenica's joint film, the collection includes one film by each of them individually, plus an extra film by Małgorzata Bosek-Serafińska, dedicated to Marek Serafiński.
The protagonists of the volume: Jacek Adamczak, Julian Józef Antonisz, Ryszard Antoniszczak, Tomasz Bagiński, Walerian Borowczyk/Jan Lenica, Marian Cholerek, Andrzej Czeczot, Ryszard Czekała, Piotr Dumała, Leszek Gałysz, Witold Giersz, Jerzy Kalina, Piotr Kamler, Mirosław Kijowicz, Krzysztof Kiwerski, Dorota Kobiela, Leszek Komorowski, Joanna Jasińska-Koronkiewicz, Jerzy Kucia, Zdzisław Kudła, Stanisław Lenartowicz, Lechosław Marszałek, Władysław Nehrebecki, Hieronim Neumann, Bogdan Nowicki, Zofia Ołdak, Zofia Oraczewska, Marta Pajek, Izabela Plucińska, Zbigniew Rybczyński, Stefan Schabenbeck, Marek Serafiński/Małgorzata Bosek-Serafińska, Marek Skrobecki, Alexander Sroczyński, Edward Sturlis, Daniel Szczechura, Piotr Szpakowicz, Stefan Szwakopf, Robert Turło, Kazimierz Urbański, Andrzej Warchał, Zenon Wasilewski, Mariusz Wilczyński, Tadeusz Wilkosz, Bronisław Zeman, Wiesław Zięba, Jerzy Zitzman.
Book length: 525 pages (bilingual edition).
Pan Piórko śni / Mr Plume's Dream, Zenon Wasilewski, Poland 1949, 11’19’’
Alojzy Piórko, a low-ranking clerk, dreams of soaring over the city and introducing a new order at his workplace: extending paid leave to two months and increasing weekly days off to three…
Słonioga / L'Araignéléphant / The spiderelephant, Piotr Kamler, France 1968, 9’46’’
A journey through different layers of time and space, undertaken by a multi-legged, ambiguous figure capable of moving in only one direction.
Figury niemożliwe i inne historie II / Impossible Figures and Other Stories II, reż. Marta Pajek, Poland 2016, 15’
The protagonist of the film is a woman who, in the midst of her daily rush, stumbles and falls. When she gets up, she discovers that her home has unexpected properties—it is built of paradoxes and filled with illusions. The film is the second part of the triptych "Impossible Figures and Other Stories", inspired by the concept of the impossible figure. Each part tells a story of the pursuit of perfection and fulfillment in a reality full of traps and contradictions.
Fotel / The Chair, Daniel Szczechura, Poland 1963, 5’35’’
A story of the struggle for power told through brilliantly simple graphic means. Somewhere in the columned hall of a monumental building, an important meeting is taking place. One seat at the presidential table remains empty. The one who uses the best trick to get there will take it. All moves, including tripping up opponents, are allowed. The battle for the titular chair is shown from a bird’s-eye view: the fighting figures resemble moving, abstract circles, clustering together or scattering in different directions.
Film and music critic. Vice Chair of Literacy Club of the Polish Filmmakers Association, a Polish section of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Jury and selection committee member of numerous film festivals. Art Director of the Tarnów Film Award. Lecturer of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw. Author of numerous press articles, television and radio broadcasts, and a dozen of so books on film. He received the award of the Polish Film Institute, the ZAiKS Society of Authors, and the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis in 2013.
