Beyond Authenticity, Beyond Romanticism: Films About Maanam

Ewa Mazierska

Abstract


This article examines two Polish films from the 1980s, Wielka majówka (“The Big Picnic”, 1981) directed by Krzysztof Rogulski and Czuję się świetnie (“I Feel Great”, 1984) directed by Waldemar Szarek, which cast Maanam, one of the most popular Polish bands of that period. I present these films in the context of a dominant representation of artists in Eastern European cinema and of Polish Romanticism, which endows artists with a specific role, arguing that this approach is to some extent different to what we typically observe in western biopics. Together, these two films show that while in the 1980s filmmakers in Poland recognized the commercial potential of using rock music and rock stars in films, they were not fully aware of the advantages of making biopics according to the western formula or did not care about these advantages.
10.5429/2079-3871(2017)v7i1.5en

Keywords


Maanam; state socialism; biopic; authenticity; Romanticism

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References


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Discography

Maanam. 1981. “Boskie Buenos”, Maanan, Wifon, Poland.

Maanam. 1981. “Czuję się świetnie”, Maanam, Wifon, Poland.

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Videography

Anna German. 2013. Dir. Waldemar Krzystek, Aleksandr Timenko, Star Media.

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Chopin – pragnienie miłości. 2002. Dir. Jerzy Antczak, Skorpion Art.

Czuję się świetnie. 1984. Dir. Waldemar Szarek, Studio Filmowe im. Karola Irzykowskiego.

Młodość Chopina. 1952. Dir. Aleksander Ford, WFF Lodz.

Sen of Warszawie. 2014. Dir. Krzysztof Magowski, Warta-Film.

Sezon na bażanty. 1986. Dir. Wiesław Saniewski, Oko.

Sukces. 1968. Dir. Marek Piwowski, Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych.

The Pianist. 2002. Dir. Roman Polanski, R.P. Productions, Heritage Films, Studio Babelsberg, Runteam.

Warszawska premiera. 1950. Dir. Jan Rybkowski, Film Polski.

Wielka majówka. 1981. Dir Krzysztof Rogulski, Silesia.

Woodstock. 1970. Dir. Michael Wadleigh, Wadleigh-Maurice.




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