2005, the flight of the spectators
The box office results for 2005 in Poland are not exactly encouraging. As the figures prove, the Polish film business has dropped compared to 2004 : receipts are down considerably, by 28,7%, and admissions have suffered a drop of 9 million spectators (from 33 millions admissions 2004 to 24 million in 2005.)
This tendency, comparable with many other European countries, is however more marked in Poland. Of the films that came out in the cinemas during the last twelve months, only three passed the one million spectators barrier: Storia di Carlo (Karol, a man become Pope) by Giacomo Battiato (ITI Cinéma, 1,9 million spectators), Madagascar (UIP; 1,4 m) and Harry Potter and the goblet of fire ( Warner Bros; 1,4 m). The total number of spectators for the first ten films of the year only reached 8,75 million while the first dozen of 2004 attracted 16,5 million people!
The biggest hit, Storia di Carlo, was released in Poland for two and half months following the death of Jean Paul II, which no doubt had a huge bearing on the admissions for the film. But aside from the film by Battiato, the local Top 10 local was dominated exclusively by large American productions …
Polish cinema went through a difficult period in 2005. The Polish public concentrated its interests on three films: Skazany na bluesa (Born for the blues) by Kidawa-Bloñski (200.000 spectators), Komornik [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Feliks Falk and Pitbull by Patryk Vega (the two titles with more than 100.000 spectators). Krzysztof Krauze had a highly acclaimed success with Mój Nikifor (Mon Nikifor) which was greatly appreciated by the international critics at many festivals (see news: Krauze’s Nikifor sweeps the board, Nikifor’s world career, Polish Cinema in America).
Last year, only 18 Polish films came out in the local cinemas. The year 2006 announces itself as been a richer one, with 30 premières expected. The new cinema law, voted in last summer (see news of 13th July ( New law, new resources ) and the dossier of 19th December Creation of the Polish Film Institute) allows more money for film production which – let’s hope – will lead to positives consequences in both quality and quantity, for makers as well as the public.
(Translated from French)
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