At the venerable age of 88, Poland’s most prominent film director, Andrzej Wajda, continues to believe that the cinema is a privileged place in which history and news, memories and indictments, can blend together in a stimulating, incisive and timely way.
Active in the cinema industry since 1954, Wajda’s latest film, Walesa: Man of Hope, is a tribute to Lech Walesa, who guided Poland’s transition to democracy and openness to Western Europe.
Such a prominent figure should not need further introduction to the public, but Wajda’s purpose in making this film was to present a portrait of Walesa that would help people come to know him in a new way–not only the political and social aspects of his life, but also his spiritual and human features–so as to sketch out an inspiring circle of dedication, passion and solidarity.