|
In
this critically acclaimed, masterfully constructed film, Wajda
introduces us to a young woman in Krakow who is making her
thesis film. She is looking behind the scenes at the life
of a 1950s bricklayer, Birkut, who was briefly elevated to
the status of a communist hero. She wants to know how his
heroism was created and what became of him. She gets a hold
of censored footage and interviews with the man's friends
and ex-wife, and the filmmaker who made him a hero. A portrait
of Birkut emerges as a man who believed in the socialist ideals,
the workers revolution, and in building housing for all. The
young filmmakers hard-driving style and the content of the
film however unnerve her supervisor, who thinks it’s
content is getting too close to a political nerve. The film
project is killed with the excuse she is over budget but the
young filmmaker pushes forward against all odds to finish
her film. DVD Extras include a tribute to and interview with
the director.
|
|
