24/04/2009

Today sees the Polish release of Andrzej Wajda’s Sweet Rush [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. The film proves that the renowned director is also adept at exploring the drama of human emotions without focusing solely on historical context, as was the case in his previous title Katyn [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrzej Wajda
interview: Michal Kwiecinski
film profile] and major works such as Man of Marble and Man of Iron.

The film – adapted from the short stories Sweet Rush by Jarosław Iwazkiewicz and A Sudden Call by Sandor Marai – centres on Marta, a mature woman (Krystyna Janda) married to a country doctor who detects his wife’s terminal illness but chooses to tell her nothing.

One day, Marta meets Boguś (Paweł Szajda), a young man who fascinates her, but their innocent meetings by the river end in tragedy.

Before shooting began, Wajda presented Sweet Rush as a work largely written for Janda, an actress who has appeared in numerous films and plays by the filmmaker and theatre director since the 1970s.

The narrative unfolding is interrupted by a monologue performed by the actress (who enjoys almost legendary status in Polish cinema), a highly personal soliloquy written by Janda herself. Filmed in the shadowy light of a hotel room, in a style reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s paintings, she speaks about a recent bereavement in January 2008, when she lost her husband, renowned DoP Edward Kłosinski.

When journalists at a press conference asked Wajda if Sweet Rush was his swan-song film, the director replied that he was already planning not only his next feature, but also a subsequent one. Penned by Agnieszka Holland, the first film will be a portrait of Lech Wałęsa, who founded the Solidarity movement, served as Polish president from 1990-1995 and won a Nobel Peace prize in 1983. The second film will be about Frédéric Chopin.

(Translated from French)