‘With Fire and Sword / Ogniem i Mieczem’ dir. Jerzy Hoffman (1999)

This historical adventure drama is based on the novel ‘With Fire and Sword’, the first part in ‘The Trilogy’ by Nobel prize-winner Henryk Sienkiewicz. At the time of filming it was the most expensive Polish film ever made.

The story is set in Ukrainian lands of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland during the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648-51. A Polish knight, Skrzetuski, and a Cossack, Bohun, both fall in love with the same woman, Helena. Their rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of a Cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, aimed at reclaiming control of the land from the hands of the Polish nobles.

Historic events form a framework for an action and character driven plot, and fictional characters mingle with historic ones. The movie culminates with the savage siege of Zbarazh, as does the book.

Subtitles. Age 16+. *2-5 pm (176 min)

Museum entry by donation. Polish Museum, 125 Elliot St, Howick. Ph 533 3530

‘In Desert and Wilderness’ dir. Gavin Hood (2010).

Captions available for deaf community by request.

Stas (14) and Nel (8) are thrilled to be with their fathers in exotic Egypt. The palm trees and beaches offer a welcome change from the chills of Europe and the children are fascinated by the different languages and religions of North Africa. During the night, Stas and Nel are kidnapped by Egyptian rebels. As the children of Suez Canal engineers, they are valuable hostages, but they soon escape with the help of two young Africans. While their fathers organize rescue parties, the children’s adventure takes them across the beautiful, vast desert.

This popular feature film with beautiful cinematography is set in 1890 and based on the Nobel prize-winning novel for youth ‘W pustyni i w puszczy’, written in 1912 by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

School holiday family entertainment.

English. Age 7+. 2-4pm. Captions available for deaf community by request.

Museum entry by donation. Polish Museum, 125 Elliot St, Howick. Ph 533 3530

‘The Revenge / Zemsta’ dir. Andrzej Wajda (2002).

In this period comedy, royal cupbearer Raptusiewicz resides in one half of a castle, with the other half inhabited by his hated rival Regent Milczek. Raptusiewicz wishes to marry the Podstolina (widow of the Lord High Steward) for her money, while the Podstolina seeks a wealthy match for herself. Regent Milczek’s wish, on the other hand, is to bring about the union of his son Waclaw with the Podstolina. To complicate matters more, Waclaw is in love with Klara – ward and niece of the Cupbearer, who took her in, following the death of her parents – and the feeling is mutual. The plot thickens when Klara turns into Papkin’s declared object of love …

This adaptation of a stage drama by A. Fredro was inspired by true events from 1828.

Subtitles. Age 16+. 2-4pm (100 min)

Museum entry by donation. Polish Museum, 125 Elliot St, Howick. Ph 533 3530

‘On the Banks of Niemen / Nad Niemnem’ dir. Zbigniew Kuzminski (1986).

Justyna Orzelska and Jan Bohatyrowicz fall in love, but can’t be together as one comes from nobility and the other is a commoner. A battle between love and social status brews in this sweeping historical drama set in 1863, during the Polish insurgence against Russian control. Will their love survive, or will society rip them apart?

This film is based on the Polish novel ‘Nad Niemnem’ by Eliza Orzeszkowa, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Orzeszkowa wrote to preserve Polish culture and heritage for generations of her contemporaries, who had only known life under foreign occupation for 123 years. Her patriotic writings, imbued with love of Poland, its people and land, as well as its traditions resonated just as deeply with immigrants in America as it did for the Poles living in Poland under foreign rule.

Subtitles. 2-5pm. (160 min)

Museum entry by donation. Polish Museum, 125 Elliot St, Howick. Ph 533 3530

‘Promised Land / Ziemia obiecana’ dir. Andrzej Wajda (1975).

This historical drama is set during the late 19th century in Lódz, the cradle of the Polish textile industry, which seems to be a promising place for European migrants to Poland.

The film begins when three dispossessed but industrious men, a Pole, a Jew and a German set out to build their own factory. As one of them says, “I have nothing, you have nothing, he has nothing: this means we have enough to start a factory.”

But complicated relations in the world of manufacturers and a dangerous affair can destroy visionary plans.

‘Ziemia obiecana’ was the nickname of the city of Łódź , given by immigrants arriving in the industrial centre, searching for the prosperity promised by rapid modernization.

Viewers have commented that this film, made during the communist era, is also anti-capitalist.

Subtitles. Age 16+.  Thursday Midweek (138 min)

Warsaw residents Ola and Jan experience one of the most important battles in world history. The Battle for Independence halted the Red Army’s march on Europe in the aftermath of WW1, forcing Lenin and Trotsky to resign from lighting the ‘flame of the world revolution’.

However, it is not the historical figures, apart from Pilsudski, who will play a decisive role in this film. The entire burden of action and the involvement of the audience’s emotions falls on the shoulders of the two literary characters: Ola, a revue theatre actress and her recently married husband Jan, a communist-supporting idealist. The fighting lines will be shown by Jan’s fate. Ola will be a participant and witness of the emotions experienced by the residents of Warsaw.

The 1920 Battle of Warsaw is the only battle fought and won by the Poles, unassisted by others, since the 17th century.

”Soviet Story’ is the most powerful antidote yet to the sanitation of the past.

This film is gripping, audacious and uncompromising.’ The Economist

This is a story of an Allied power, which helped the Nazis to fight Jews and which slaughtered its own people on an industrial scale.

Assisted by the West, this power triumphed on May 9th 1945. Its crimes were made taboo and the complete story of Europe’s most murderous regime has never been told till now.

Mature audience only.

This film is about the 1940 Katyn massacre directed by Andrzej Wajda.

It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 80th Academy Awards.

In the movie the events of Katyn are related through the eyes of the women, the mother, wives and daughters of the victims executed on Stalin’s order by the NKVD in 1940.

The Polish museum is for all New Zealanders

“GLAM” Gallery, Library, Archive, Museum

Howick is a destination that offers variety including Howick beach, Stockade Hill, various Fencible sites and historical walks, All Saints Church, Uxbridge Creative Arts Centre, Te Tuhi Gallery and Howick Historical Village.

The quaint Howick village shops are a 5 minute walk from the museum and the Botany Town Centre is a 10 minute drive.

We look forward to welcoming you to “Polish films in Howick”, the Howick district and the Polish Museum.

In September 1939 Poland was overrun by the German and Russian, yet the Polish fighting spirit remained unbroken… They were displaced fighting forces, which would exact revenge for the occupation of Poland, fighting first in France, and than alongside with British in almost every campaign in the desert and Western Europe

After 7 years of fighting, many of those soldiers who returned home from the war were arrested , murdered or deported to Siberia by the Soviets who now occupied Poland.

The Free Polish forces will be remembered as the Gladiators who were willing to sacrifice everything to rescue their country.

This dramatised documentary recounts how, during the most decisive phase of Battle of Britain, a single squadron of 34 Polish fighter pilots wreaked havoc on the Luftwaffe, in the process helping to change the course of history and overturning RAF prejudices.

Based on a diary kept by the Pilots of the 303 Squadron.

Belatedly, the Poles were cleared for active service and had an immediate impact. By the time the Battle of Britain was won, they had claimed 126 enemy planes, but as the war ended, their joy turned to despair as they saw their own country handed to Stalin

Ron Jeffery was described by the Gestapo as “one of the foxiest devils in Europe” His wartime adventures as a courier, spy and even executioner have all the hallmarks of a fantastic spy thriller– but it’s all true.

This powerful film uses mix of documentary, rare archive footage and vivid recreations to lift the secrecy on this story of a courageous British born, New Zealander during his time in Europe during WW2

Ron Jeffery  served as a Lance Corporal in the 6th West Kent Battalion and was captured during the Battle of France by the Wehrmacht in 1940. He was transported to prison and then to a camp in Poland. He escaped twice from two camps and finally joined up with the Polish Underground Army in Warsaw.

Using forged documents issued under false Polish and German names, Jeffery began to serve as a courier in the Polish Underground, as a part of several missions to occupied cities such as Vienna, Prague and Budapest.

After WW2, Jeffery emigrated to New Zealand where he ran a business.He compiled his memoirs in the book called “Red Runs the Vistula” published in 1985.

This is his story.

Awards:

In 1943, Home Army General Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski personally awarded Jeffery the Polish Cross of Valour.

In 1996 Jeffery was awarded the Home Army Cross

In 1995, the President of Poland Lech Walesa awarded him the Comander of the Order of Merit, one of the highest honours the Polish Government can bestow on a foreigner.