Media-Constructed Idyll of the Past: Contemporary Polish Films and the Memory of the Polish People’s Republic

• In Event: Memory and Self-Memory of Media in Transition in Poland and Russia

Abstract

The paper explores the phenomenon of contemporary Polish biopics set in the reality of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) and portraying famous figures of that era. The corpus of films will include Gods (Bogowie) and Breaking the Limits (Najlepszy) by Łukasz Palkowski, The Art of Loving: Story of Michalina Wislocka (Sztuka kochania) by Maria Sadowska, Kulej. All That Glitters Isn't Gold (Kulej. Dwie strony medalu) by Xawery Żuławski, and Simona Kossak by Adrian Panek. The protagonists are, respectively, a pioneering heart-transplant surgeon, a sexologist revolutionizing Polish attitudes towards intimacy, champions of sports (boxing and triathlon), and an activist who was a pioneer of ecological movements. This trend in Polish cinema began with the immense box-office success of Gods and continues to this day. A common feature of these films is their apolitical depiction of the PPR, which takes on a nostalgic, idyllic glow in the memories of today’s elderly — those who were young at the time. The simple pleasures of everyday life are glorified, while politics serves only as a background. Party officials or secret police agents appear merely as generic obstacles to the protagonist’s professional aspirations, yet they remain largely harmless. This trend marks a significant shift in the cinematic portrayal of the PRL compared to the 1990s when politics and a Manichean division between good and evil dominated the narrative. Over the past decade, this perspective has been replaced by a form of cheerful escapism. The presentation will examine this trend in relation to both – the idealizing mechanisms of memory and broader cultural processes, of which cinema, as a medium, is a reflection. In recent economic literature, including works by Marcin Piątkowski, a more positive view of the PRL has emerged, emphasizing its egalitarianism, social mobility, and education quality. Cinema resonates with or even helps shape these evolving perceptions of the past.

Author

• Marcin Adamczak, Polish National Film School / Adam Mickiewicz U (Poland)