1. POLISH CINEMA THE BEGINNING AND THE INTER-WAR PERIOD

2. The Beginning: Facts and trivia Polish inventors worked on the idea of “moving pictures,” cameras and projectors at the same time as the Lumière brothers (in the 1890s). The idea for colour film was first patented by a Pole, Jan Szczepanik, as early as 1899, 30 years before it was put to use by Kodak. The first Polish film company appeared in Warsaw in 1902 (short feature films, documentaries). The first Polish film company appeared in Warsaw in 1902 (short feature films, documentaries). The first full-length Polish film was His First Visit to Warsaw (1908) by Józef Meyer.

3. Early productions Since 1911, regular film production started. Genres: melodramas, comedies, thrillers, historical films, and adaptations of Polish literature. 1914: Pola Negri’s first role (in Prisoner of Love ). 1915: German occupation. The end of self-regulating movie-making. Emigration of actors and directors (Pola Negri, Helena Makowska, W ł adis ł aw Starewicz, etc). Pola Negri W ł adis ł aw StarewiczPola Negri W ł adis ł aw Starewicz 1916: First Polish animation films by Feliks Kuczkowski.

4. Between the Wars 1918 : End of WWI, independence of Poland. Only one film studio, Sfinks, survived. Slow growth of the industry, imported films and cheap domestic production prevail in 1920-s. The economic depression nearly kills cinema in Poland. 1933: the first Polish sound film, Everyone Can Fall in Love. Everyone Can Fall in Love Everyone Can Fall in Love

5. Between the Wars 1930-s: Comedies. Adolf Dymsza (1900-1975) as Antek the Police Sergeant (1935) and Dodek at the Front (1936). Antek the Police SergeantDodek at the FrontAntek the Police SergeantDodek at the Front Melodramas. The Leper by Juliusz Gardan (1936). The LeperThe Leper

6. Between the Wars Historical films. Józef Lejtes. Barbara Radziwi łł ówna (1936), Ko ś ciuszko pod Rac ł awicami Barbara Radziwi łł ówna Ko ś ciuszko pod Rac ł awicami Barbara Radziwi łł ówna Ko ś ciuszko pod Rac ł awicami (1938). (1938). Avant-garde. Ghosts (1938) by C ę kalski and Szo ł owski. Ghosts Yiddish (Polish-Jewish) cinema. Yidl Mitn Fidl (1936) by Joseph Green and the Dybbuk (1937) by Michal Waszynski. Yidl Mitn Fidl Dybbuk Yidl Mitn Fidl Dybbuk

7. The World War II 1939, the German occupation. By 1945, six million Polish citizens die, filmmakers included. Cinema production in Poland banned. A small amount of Polish films produced in France, Britain, the US, and the USSR.

8. T he Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Film copies and movie theatres destroyed along with the city.